Anderson Silva plans to fight out UFC contract after successful knee surgery

Former UFC champ Anderson Silva is on his way to a clean bill of health and intends to fight at least twice more before retirement.

Silva (34-10 MMA, 17-6 UFC), the former longtime middleweight titleholder, has not seen action since a TKO loss to Jared Cannonier at UFC 237 in May 2019. The fight ended when “The Spider” took a leg kick that caused him to buckle and force a referee stoppage.

The Brazilian hasn’t seen action since, and nearly a year later underwent knee surgery. According to ESPN, the operation was a regenerative stem cell procedure on Silva’s right knee. The report states the expected recovery timeline is two weeks before he can resume training.

Silva posted an update on social media afterward, deeming the surgery a success and promising to fulfill the final two bouts on his current UFC contract.

“I finished my knee surgery; I will recover now,” Silva said on <a href=" At 45, Silva is the oldest fighter on the UFC roster. He's won just once since his historic 185-pound title reign was brought to an end by Chris Weidman in July 2013, going 1-5 with one no contest. Approaching the 14-year anniversary of his octagon debut, Silva wants to complete his contractual obligations with the UFC. A date or potential opponent for his penultimate bout have not been determined at this time.