Anderson Silva Says He Wont’ Fight in 2014: “This Year is Over for Me”

Although many, including his management and UFC president Dana White, have speculated that we might see Anderson Silva return to the Octagon by the end of 2014, that doesn’t appear to be on the docket for “the Spider.”

Silva, in an interview with Brazilian website Combate.com, said, “This year is over for me. It may be that I fight in the middle of next year.”

That’s a much later timeline than White had been hoping for.

“What’s crazy about (Silva’s) injury is he will be walking without crutches in a few weeks, he will be training in less than six months, and he will be fighting by the end of the year,” White said on SportsNation on ESPN2 in late January.

Silva has been releasing video snippets of his recovery progress. Those videos have already shown him walking without crutches, and more recently show him doing some light training.

Despite his progress, Silva’s comments to Combate.com indicate he isn’t overly eager to rush his return.

He added that his family has been after him to quit fighting for quite some time, but Silva indicated he’s not ready to stop. He does want to return. He’s not rushing it, and he’s also not likely to fulfill his current UFC contract, which calls for 10 bouts.

“I don’t see myself stopping,” said Silva. “But I don’t know if I’m going to fulfill the contract for ten fights.”

It’s nearing three months since Silva’s gruesome injury at UFC 168 on Dec. 28, but that’s really not all that much time considering the nature of his injury; he broke both bones in his left leg.

So for now, we’ll all just have to sit back and wait to see how he heals, and what Silva decides is best for his future, both in and out of the Octagon.