It appears that we have not seen the last of Anderson Silva in the Octagon, not if he has anything to say about it.
Anderson Silva has released his first statement since losing to Jared Cannonier at UFC 237 after suffering a knee injury brought about by a Cannonier inside leg kick. The extent of the injury is not yet known, but Anderson Silva has been placed on a 180-day medical suspension by the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission, pending clearance of the knee. Silva is expected to have an MRI today (Monday, May 13).
In the meantime, Silva refuses to feel down on himself and continues to speak with an air of optimism for the future in an Instagram post released following the loss (Translation via MMA Fighting):
“Until the limit, pain is your friend. It shows you’re not dead yet,” Silva wrote in Portuguese. “They say that great symbols become great targets. Maybe. But the most important thing is not to victimize yourself. If you fall, get up. If it’s broken, fix it. No giving up or thinking that you can’t because you lost one battle.
“The saying is, I’m going until the end and the more they pressure me, the more I’ll want to to go until the end,” Silva continued. “There’s nothing more wild than feeling sorry for yourself. An old lion, surrounded by hungry hyenas, crazy to eat him, and he stills fights until death without ever giving up or feeling sorry for himself. And it won’t be different with me. Strength and honor.”
Some people consider retirement to be merely moving on to the next phase of life, but based on the metaphorical language present in Silva’s statement, Anderson Silva seems to equate it with giving up or surrendering in the war that is an MMA career. To Silva, he has lost the most recent battle, but is still able-bodied and eager to continue the war, with no white flag in sight.
How much longer do you anticipate Anderson Silva fighting in the UFC?
