Pending elbow surgery sidelines Anderson Silva until 2010

by Jesse Holland on Sep 5, 2009 1:34 PM EDT

Looks like we'll have a little more time to figure out which middleweight contender is going to be next in line for a shot at Anderson Silva's 185-pound crown -- courtesy of a bum elbow "The Spider" has elected to have surgery to repair.

While details of the procedure are still unclear, the gang down at ESPN's "MMA Live" posted the unfortunate (but not surprising) news on their official Twitter account.

Not surprising because "Spider" spokesman and manager Ed Soares has been adamant about his client taking a few months off to rest and recover from some existing injuries following his dissection of Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 back on August 8.

Soares even made the unofficial match-up of Nate Marquardt vs. Dan Henderson following "The Great" knockout over Demian Maia at last month's UFC 102 in order determine a number one contender for the division title while Silva recuperates.

While it makes sense on paper considering both competitors have faced Silva before, it was an idea not warmly received by Hendo.

UFC President Dana White has not yet committed to a direction for the 185-pound division, but with Silva going under the knife, he'll have plenty of time to consider different scenarios.

But how long are fans willing to wait?

With a surgically repaired "Axe Murderer" already planning a middleweight debut plus the return of a suddenly slimmer Vitor Belfort, there should be enough to keep us busy for the next six months.

Who knows, maybe even Yushin Okami will "Thunder" his way back into contention.

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Comments

He only has to fight once every bajillion years anyways

by Sir Chokemout on Sep 5, 2009 1:40 PM EDT reply actions

even if nate vs hendo is what happens what is wrong with that? both are exciting 9/10 times and are evenly matched with size,and power to hendo but with the sub skills,and speed to nate, both evenly matched in the wins against top opponents, though hendo did better against anderson the first time around so did travis lutter, so you can’t go based off that..

nate vs hendo is a fight i wouldnt mind seeing as a main event on a subpar UK card tho i doubt hendo ever gets a warm welcome there

by randy murders on Sep 5, 2009 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions

I was about to ask why Hendo wouldn’t be welcome in the UK, but then I remembered. lol.

by Synyster on Sep 5, 2009 8:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I think this was just a way get the fight he wanted. He is planning on retiring next year anyways so why would he get the surgery now, get his 3 fights finished then retire when he could just get the fights out of the way then retire and have the surgery. Must be a sign he’s not really planning on retirement.

by My wife can't wrestle but you should see her box on Sep 5, 2009 9:01 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree. I think this isnt a serious injury, but just his way to not waste his time fighting both Hendo n Marquardt again, and honestly, I dont have a problem with it at all.

Good move on Silva’s part…but now its imperitive that Dana lays the smackdown on Hendo and forces him to take the Marquardt fight that he has been opposing.

by john G on Sep 5, 2009 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Can you guys imagine if his elbow was actually inhibiting him in his last few fights? It will be insane to see him at 100% (if he was actually hurt).

I see his next potential fight are defending his belt against hendo/nate, then fighting the loser of the shad/page fight OR if somehow machida loses then he may fight for the title against shogun.

by ehoglund on Sep 6, 2009 12:56 AM EDT up reply actions

If Anderson has to fight both Hendo and Marquardt, he should just get it out of the way and beat both their asses on the same night. I honestly think that he could easily beat Hendo and Nate on the same night. He gets hit about 1 time per fight a anyway….Let him beat both their asses the same night so we can put this stupid situation behind us!

by john G on Sep 6, 2009 9:26 AM EDT up reply actions

Gutted Andy’s injured, though I agree with john at least we don’t need to see him waste his time with 2 rematches, I’d rather see him defend the MW belt one more time over an undisputed contender and the only way for that to happen is for Nate and Hendo to face, if Dan doesn’t want that fight then tough sh!t he can go back to LHW and get beat at that weight instead. That fight would make sense for 105, I’ll be cheering for Nate all the way in that one. Who knows after a big win and a few more months to prepare Nate/Hendo could actually make this rematch competetive though Franklin was supposed to be a much bigger threat the second time and we all know how that turned out.

by David W-S on Sep 6, 2009 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions

The only Middleweight I want to see ANDERSON FIGHT is Vitor Belfort! I also wouldnt mind seeing him fight wanderlei, but Vitor/Anderson is really the fight I want to see.

Nate vs. Marquardt is perfect for a british card because neither fighter gets a percentage of the ppv revenue, so they wont be missing out on any money by fighting in England over the USA. If Marquardt vs. Nate happens, then its only fair to give the winner a shot at Anderson, but if it doesnt happen…I dont want to see eiethr fighting Anderson in a rematch.

It is very important that Vitor knocks out ranklin. That way we will get to see Vitor vs. anderson

FYI: I have been hearing rumors of a UFC 105 match up between lil nog v. Forrest

by john G on Sep 6, 2009 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree about Vitor/Franklin and my fingers will be firmly crossed for a Belfort Highlight Reel KO.

by attakdog on Sep 6, 2009 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions

Do you think Forrest’s face will be healed in time for 105? Plus that is a major risk of him losing 3 in a row. They’d almost have to release him and we all know how fast Strikeforce would pick him up. I see a can in Forrest’s immediate future.

by My wife can't wrestle but you should see her box on Sep 6, 2009 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Forrest will lose 3 in a row anyway. He isnt very good! All his opponents rumored for him to fight will all beat him like Jardine and Nog…unless, like you say, he gets fed a can!

Where’s Elvis Sinosic when you need him!

by john G on Sep 6, 2009 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah right, but everybody beats Jardine anyways so that’d be worthless win.

by RoBerto on Sep 6, 2009 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Forrest won’t ever be released. Both he and Bonner mean alot to Dana. Once they retire from fighting, they will be given jobs within the UFC doing something that pays well with no little of no responsibility.

by DJ on Sep 7, 2009 8:42 AM EDT up reply actions

How convenient just as mr Soares was getting silva out of fighting nate or hendo until they fort each other up pops this.

by bigggg dowg on Sep 5, 2009 1:40 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah very convenient! Great pic BTW Jessee

by attakdog on Sep 5, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

u guys act like hes afraid of 2 guys he beat in under 15 minutes together pretty easily, makes sence huh??

by guyverbob on Sep 5, 2009 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Can you believe these guys guyverbob?? One actual legit sideline and you guys jump on the guy. But it’s okay for Ramapage to go make movies?

by UFC Champ on Sep 5, 2009 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions

no its not ok and how come we didnt here about this weeks ago

by joe daddy on Sep 5, 2009 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Am not saying hes afaid am saying that its funny how soares was trying to to be joe silva last week, now this.
Hendo said if couldn`t get a title shot he will go back up to lhw. The timings a bit off if you ask me, and am pissed offf because i wanted to see silva fight before the end of the year.

by bigggg dowg on Sep 5, 2009 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Was going to suggest that maybe the elbow injury is some nagging deal that could get fixed now or later. Fixing it now means he will only have to fight the winner of Nate vs. Hendo. Fixing it later could mean fighting both back to back.

But now that I think about it, I can’t see him timing his elbow surgery just to duck one of these guys. He’s going to do what’s best for his body, that’s far more important than ducking a guy he’s already beat.

by H.I. McDunnough on Sep 5, 2009 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions

bigggggggggg dowg, if it were up to me, I’d watch Silva fight on every card, but hey that’s how it goes.

It is possible that after consulting Dana and the UFC that they (together) determined that now is the best time for AS to have the surgery. Maybe that’s why Dana wouldn’t commit to saying Hendo is getting the shot at the title when asked repeatedly. Dana most likely saw a match between Hendo and Nate as a stall tactic so AS can have the surgery get better.

by UFC Champ on Sep 5, 2009 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions

surgery and get better **** – what’s wrong with me today?

by UFC Champ on Sep 5, 2009 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t care to ever see any of those rematches but i would love to see how a Hendo-Marqy fight goes down. At LHW, put hendo against Handy. Both guys are classy enough to put aside their friendship and take the fight. Or a third match with Wand since he was sick last time out.

by NameNotRequired on Sep 5, 2009 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions

I have no desire to see Silva fight both Nate and Hendo again. IMO fighting each other makes the most sense as they have never fought. It would be epic and it would show us if either of them have improve since they fought Silva.

Silva has many potential great fights and I don’t want to see him caught up in to many rematches.

How long before okami wants his fight or cote wants a rematch??? Not to mention Belfort, Wandy, GSP and then there’s LHW…..

Do we really want him fighting both?

by MoonUK on Sep 5, 2009 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions

NNR: The rubbermatch between wandrelie and Hendo must happen!

by john G on Sep 5, 2009 9:13 PM EDT up reply actions

FIGURES SILVA AND SOARES PULL SOMETHING CHEAP LIKE THIS TO GET THEIR WAY, NEXT HE WILL HOLD HIS BREATH. THEY KNOW BOTH HENDO AND NATE WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE ANDERSON THE KIND OF FIGHT THAT UNVEIL THE FACT THAT HE IS NOT THE BEST POUND FOR POUND. IT WOULD GIVE HIM 2 (TWO) losses in a row. silva good not great!!

by csquare2 on Sep 6, 2009 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions

So 2 fighters who he has already beat convincingly are now being ducked by Andy because they will beat him this time? Don’t forget that Hendo doesn’t want to fight Nate because he knows that he is a threat to his title shot. Let Hendo and Nate actually earn their shot by facing each other as there is no need to have 2 contenders at the same level instead of one contender that has cleared out the rest of the division. Andy deserves to fight the best and all of this talk about him ducking either man is laughable and the usual rubbish you hear from Hendo fans who still think that he almost beat Andy the first time.

by David W-S on Sep 6, 2009 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions

Wandy’s done. He won’t get near Silva for a shot. UFC doesn’t like Yushin anymore and they won’t give hima shot cause they want it to be exciting (only reason Wandy would get a shot is the grudge factor)

by IrishKev on Sep 5, 2009 1:44 PM EDT reply actions

not saying they wont fight but theyve just been out for a bite to eat to clear the air and are friends again.

by scott on Sep 5, 2009 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Silva’s beaten Hendo and Nate both, and both times he beat them well. From the UFC’s point, seesm ideal for Anderson to have surgery and a break. Nate and Hendo can square off for No1 position. Gives time for Belfort and Wandy to bed in also at MW. Any talk of him ducking either Hendo or Nate is foolish

by Big PG on Sep 5, 2009 1:44 PM EDT reply actions

i think okami needs to fight hendo or nate next

by bryant on Sep 5, 2009 1:46 PM EDT reply actions

Id like to see okami vs nate.
Hendo vs wand or belfort

Who ever comes out on top of either fight in a more dominant fashion takes the no 1 contender spot

by phenomenal angel on Sep 5, 2009 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions

hendo vs rashad ufc 107
nate vs yushin also ufc 107
would be sick

by randy murders on Sep 5, 2009 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions

wtf biggggg doggy!
I smell somethin weird here. Silva and mr soares clearly want to see nate vs hendo. that’s fucked up for us the fans. even thought I would not mind seing that fight I rather see the spider fight again. buts if all this is true well I hope silva recovers quick and fights whoever is next in line when he comes back.

by TRIKZ on Sep 5, 2009 1:47 PM EDT reply actions

It is indeed weird smellin’. It’s pretty convenient for the Spider camp to just shelf Anderson while the middleweight fiasco is sorting itself out.

by Syd on Sep 5, 2009 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions

well mr. ed you are a jackass…i think he knows one of these guys will be the one to beat him,so now hes protecting his champ.i do not like champs who pick and choose who and when they fight.before he was champ i never heard him try to pick and choose but i guess thats what happens when you let things go to your head! plus i thought he took plenty of time off during the cote and leites fights….. now here is where all the silva nut huggers tell me what a idiot i am, so go ahead

by joe daddy on Sep 5, 2009 1:52 PM EDT reply actions

Besides dan holding silva down the first rd I saw no threat to silva by either man.
Nate got his butt kicked being on top
If nate comes out swinging with silva like hesays he will he’s looking to get kod faster than first time.
I give dan a good shot, well decent shot.

But silva scared of either man is ridiculus.

by phenomenal angel on Sep 5, 2009 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Anderson could just retire right now. 10-0 in the ufc

by JRE on Sep 5, 2009 1:58 PM EDT reply actions

correct! a real legend of MMA.

by MoonUK on Sep 5, 2009 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions

silva garnered some respect back from me finally having a good performance but i 100% agree with you guys. he’s fought the best in the world and went 10-0 against his competition. that alone leaves him as the best fighter in ufc history but he is also the best fighter in mma

by Jared on Sep 5, 2009 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Perfect opportunity for Nate/Hendo to scrap it out. I’d say Nate wins, if it were to happen.

by GodDamnMike on Sep 5, 2009 1:58 PM EDT reply actions

Didnt Dan say he would move uo to lhw if he didnt get the shot at silva?

by Nor Cal Mexican (formely Philicutioner) on Sep 5, 2009 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions

These photoshops are great.

by frosnt on Sep 5, 2009 1:58 PM EDT reply actions

I think Silva is doing everything he can to get out of the Hendo fight. Nobodies put it on Silva like Hendo did that first round. First its Soares demanding an elimintation bout, now its Silva putting putting their plan in to effect. If anyone posses a threat to Anderson is Hendo.

by RichT on Sep 5, 2009 2:05 PM EDT reply actions

Anderson Silva is a GREAT FIGHTER!!!!

I would love LOVE!!! to see him Box fellow boxer/mma fighter Joe Diesel Riggs!!! in a boxing exhbition match yo!!!

by Goku on Sep 5, 2009 2:10 PM EDT reply actions

i agree with the first few posters. it does seem convenient that this surgery popped up right when his management was trying to get him out of the henderson fight. do i think he is scared of henderson? you wouldn’t think so, but then again, the attempted fight fixing by his management and the fact that this surgery came out of nowhere makes me wonder. hendo did alright in that first round and that knockout of bisbing has to give even the most confident fighter some pause for consideration. i think if dan got the fight to the ground he could beat silva. i bet silva thinks it too.

by Conan the Barbarian on Sep 5, 2009 2:10 PM EDT reply actions

personally,i just think its coincidence.hes eager to get his last contractual fights out the way because hes desperate to fight rjj,whick i think will happen. i think he wants to go out with a bang and have meaningful fights,thats why nate and hendo dont mean much to him.

by scott on Sep 5, 2009 2:18 PM EDT reply actions

Wow, this is surprising. He really is mortal.

by spitforce on Sep 5, 2009 2:26 PM EDT reply actions

Who’s Yushin Okami?

by Speedy on Sep 5, 2009 2:28 PM EDT reply actions

can we have hendo v nate headlinin manchester please.pray to fuck bissping is co-headlinin!

by bons on Sep 5, 2009 2:30 PM EDT reply actions

bisbing is mediocre at best and i think it will show in his next few fights. no offence just my opinion

by joe daddy on Sep 5, 2009 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions

its funny when he was in pride or on the way to the ufc i dont remember him picking his fights.so mr.ed says he needs a break well im pretty sure he took a break during the cote and the lietes fights and from what guyverbob said he only faught 15 minutes in his 2 prior fights to them, so i think this guy has had plenty of time off.i think when your a champ you need to fight who your told and when your told not when and who you feel like fighting!

by joe daddy on Sep 5, 2009 2:36 PM EDT reply actions

joe daddy why do you post several times with the same content?

by JRE on Sep 5, 2009 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions

mr. ed needs to quit being a dicktaster errr i mean dictator and let dana and joe deside who fights and who doesnt.if his guy wasnt the champ he wouldnt be pulling this shit!

by joe daddy on Sep 5, 2009 2:44 PM EDT reply actions

SO DAMN OBVIOUS!

Let Hendo and Nate wait until 2010 then, Silva should fight both.

Who the fúck is he to dictate who fights who?

Ferttitas needs to make an example out of rampage and silva who acts like they are in charge.

by Lester The Pimp on Sep 5, 2009 3:16 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah he should just fight whoever Dana and Joe tell him to fight huh? So he can get matched up with more Cote’s and Leitus’s. Your a genius

by JRE on Sep 5, 2009 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions

i know ill get alot of shit for this but, i think cote probably would have knocked out silva, yeah yeah i know did he deserve a shot maybe maybe not, its not up to me or you. I dont understand why so many people hate on cote, hes one tough dude. not saying hes great or anything, but this is only my opinion no need to get all pissy. who else were they gonna put him up against other than cote and leites at that time other than guys he had already beat, why not give them a chance they were doing good. why give brock a title shot after 2 fights. they are only trying to make interesting fights, and for those two you cant blame cote or leites really, it was anderson that “wasnt himself” in those fights, cote and leites didnt want to be stupid and get caught they played it smart well cote did, didnt really watch leites match to close. yeah my grammer may be off, but i dont care im not on here trying to show i can spoke good english

by DanTheMan on Sep 6, 2009 1:40 AM EDT up reply actions

So what, Hendo waits until 2010 to fight Silva whilst Nate waits another four months to fight the winner? Makes NO sense have 3 top MW’s sidelined.

Personally I think Nate vs Hendo would be epic and probably a much better fight than either of them vs Silva.

I think Silva has done enough (10-0 in UFC) to deserve some belief from the fans that this is a injury and not an excuse.

by MoonUK on Sep 5, 2009 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions

agreed lester and i used to have respect for these guys…no more

by joe daddy on Sep 5, 2009 3:37 PM EDT reply actions

this works out fine. gives UFC time to find a legit #1 contender. Which I feel is hendo. But feed him Nate first just to show he is indeed the 1 right now. And forget the fact he lost to him before thats the past and meaningless. If that were the case there wouldnt be a Liddell,Couture rematch or BJ Penn, Hughes.

by elstiko on Sep 5, 2009 4:58 PM EDT reply actions

Hendo and Nate would be a good fight and probably great for the fans, but just good for either of them personally. You gotta figure the loser is gonna drop out of title fight contention. At least for awhile.

by Kdog on Sep 5, 2009 5:22 PM EDT reply actions

Even if Silva’s arm and elbow are in a cast, he could still beat up Nate and Hendo combined!!

by Syd on Sep 5, 2009 5:56 PM EDT reply actions

I think this will allow time for the ufc to set up a little title contention tournment with Henderson, Mardquart, Okami, and Wandy or Belfort to see who the true #1 contender is.

My first round would look like this:
Hendo vs. Wandy or Belfort (depending on how belfort does against franklin.)
Mardquart vs. Okami

Second Round (finals)
Hendo vs. Mardquart

and I would have Mardquart coming out on top giving him a chance at redemption against anderson silva.

by matt on Sep 5, 2009 7:39 PM EDT reply actions