Top UFC fighter Anderson Silva broke his left leg while kicking Chris Weidman in the second round of their UFC 168 bout in Las Vegas.
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| Anderson Silva cries in pain after breaking his leg in a fight with opponent Chris Weidman. |
It has been described as one of the most gruesome breaks in what is already a brutal sport.
And it appears likely to be the moment the Ultimate Fighting Championship career of Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter Anderson Silva ended.
In a middleweight title bout against Chris Weidman at UFC 168 in Las Vegas, Silva broke his left leg while kicking his opponent in the second round.
Footage of the fight showed Silva's left shin bend grotesquely while he landed a kick on Weidman's left leg one minute and 16 seconds into the round.
Weidman, who earned his belt with an upset victory over the long-reigning champion in July, claimed victory after also dominating the first round of the rematch.
According to the UFC, Silva was taken to a hospital in Las Vegas for surgery. An intramedullary rod was inserted into his left tibia although the broken fibula did not require separate surgery.
Silva is recovering and no further operations are planned. Recovery is estimated to be between three and six months but a shadow now hangs over his UFC career.
Matt Erickson from MMAjunkie.com described the injury as "one of the most gruesome breaks in UFC history".
"And the questions immediately began about that being the end of a legendary MMA [mixed martial arts] career," Erickson wrote.
Before losing to Weidman in July, Silva, nicknamed The Spider, had been undefeated in the UFC "Octagon".
The loss took his career MMA record to 33-6.--Source: Sydney Morning Herald/Photo credit: AP