Instead of an epic rematch between the two best middleweight mixed martial artists on planet Earth, the main event of last night's (Sat., Dec. 28, 2013) UFC 168: "Weidman vs. Silva 2" pay-per-view (PPV) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, saw Anderson Silva suffer a gruesome leg break shortly into the second round of his rematch against Chris Weidman.
How gruesome? Go look at the photo evidence. Fair warning: It's graphic and potentially offensive to some viewers, so click with caution.
Considering the nature of the devastating injury, it's impossible not to wonder what the future holds for Silva. To that end, UFC President Dana White gave an immediate update on his condition at the post-fight press conference:
"He literally left here and is going straight into surgery. Doctor Saunders, who is here tonight watching the fights, is following them because he's going to do the surgery, probably in the next hour, I guess."
Then, he was respectful in discussing what the future may hold after the long road to recovery that lays ahead:
"He's an incredible human being, he's done amazing things here at the UFC. Maybe he'll want to make a comeback, who knows, but I don't know. We'll see what happens. I don't want to count him out and I don't want to count him in. It's just really not the important thing right now. The important thing is he gets his surgery, heals up, and then we go from there."
Later, White would reveal some information he received from Silva's corner providing insight into how the injury happened in an interview with Fox Sports:
"What I heard from his corner was that first kick that Weidman checked from Anderson, it cracked his shin. He felt it and it felt weird, then he threw that hard kick and his leg broke. He's not feeling good and he's going into surgery. ... It's very possible that could be his last fight ever. It's obviously very disappointing if that's his last fight."
It's far too soon to know for certain if Silva will retire due to this injury but it's fair to assume that's exactly what's going to happen.
Here's to hoping for the best.
For everything you need to know on "Weidman vs. Silva 2" click here, and for complete UFC 168 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.