Silva breaks leg, ends UFC career

MANILA, Philippines - Anderson “The Spider” Silva’s Ultimate Fighting Championship days may have come to an excruciating end.

Silva, considered in the mixed martial arts world as the greatest of all time, broke a leg, allowing nemesis Chris Weidman to come out with a TKO victory and retain the middleweight title at UFC 168 in Las Vegas, Nevada yesterday.

The win stretched Weidman’s undefeated record to 11-0 (win-loss) while duplicating his last victory over Silva, who fell to 33-6, at UFC 162 last July to crown himself new middleweight champion.

“He’s still the greatest of all-time,” said the 29-year-old Weidman, referring to Silva, who is nine years older than the former, during the customary post-fight interview at the octagon.

It was a sad, painful ending for Silva, whose legend started when he stunned then middleweight titleholder Rich Franklin at UFC 64 in 2006 and defended his crown a record 15 straight times before running into Weidman.

Earlier, Ronda Rousey continued her dominance of Miesha Tate and won their match via a third round tap out due to an armbar to continue her reign as the UFC’s women’s bantamweight champion.

Interestingly, it was Rousey’s first fight that went beyond the first round.

The end came when Weidman checked Silva’s left kick that snapped the latter’s leg.

The Brazilian fell to the canvas, forcing referee Herb Dean to intervene at the 1.16 mark of the second round and putting an anti-climactic end to a bout that has all the trappings of another classic.

Silva’s injury was reminiscent of a similar injury suffered by Corey Hill  in his 2008 fight with Dale Hartt. Hill will make a full recovery and return to fight in the octagon again.

This one though is just too devastating that a comeback by Silva appears remote.