Anderson Silva denies rumors and aims to return in 2015: 'This year is over for me'

A. Silva (photo) has not guaranteed that he will fulfill his current contract with the UFC until the end. Photo: Reproduction

Amidst a mixture of surprise and optimism due to the demonstrations of resilience he has shown during his recovery from the fracture he suffered in his left leg, Anderson Silva tried to moderate expectations regarding his return to the octagon. In an interview with the “Combate” channel website, during an event held by one of its sponsors in São Paulo (SP), Spider rejected speculation that he would fight again at the end of this year and stated that he sees himself far from a hypothetical new fight by the belt.

“These predictions that I will fight at UFC 181 or at an upcoming event are not true. This year is already over for me. He might fight in the middle of next year,” said the former welterweight champion. The Brazilian also stated that he does not see himself close to a new title fight. “The champion Anderson phase has passed. Fighting for it became a little distant for me,” he revealed.

Close to turning 39 and with a long contract in force with Ultimate, with eight of ten fights still to be completed, Anderson is also not so sure if he will keep the agreement to the end. “I don't see myself stopping, but I don't know if I'll have the courage to fulfill the ten-fight contract. My family has been asking me to stop for many years, and they need to understand that it's what I love doing and that I need to take my time. But my mission in sport was to become a reference, and I'm managing to do my part”, he concluded.

Anderson Silva has a record of 33 wins and six losses. Spider was middleweight champion between 2006 and 2013, when he was defeated by Chris Weidman in July. Six months later, in one of the most anticipated rematches in Ultimate's history, the Brazilian suffered another setback, this time after fracturing his left leg in the second round. Undergoing surgery shortly after the incident, Anderson has been in the recovery process since then and has already resumed training, but at a pace appropriate to his stage of rehabilitation.