Pahlavan
08-09-2014, 20:44
Anderson Silva (http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/101/anderson-silva) will make his improbable return to the Octagon on Jan. 31 against former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz (http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/108/nick-diaz), but he’s still haunted by the "ghosts" of his gruesome leg injury.
Thirteen months after breaking his left tibia and fibula at the UFC 168 (http://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/566/ufc-168-weidman-vs-silva) main event in Las Vegas against Chris Weidman (http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/352/chris-weidman), "The Spider" headlines the UFC 183 (http://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/645/ufc-183) card in the same city, but has yet to reach his full potential in training.
"I feel no pain at all," Silva said in an interview to Fantastico (http://g1.globo.com/fantastico/noticia/2014/09/cada-dia-que-passa-fico-mais-perto-de-me-aposentar-diz-anderson-silva.html). "My strength is back because I’m back to training. The hardest part is self-confidence, to kick again as I used to."
Silva’s doctor, Dr. Marcio Tannure told MMAFighting.com (http://www.mmafighting.com/2014/6/20/5827792/anderson-silva-cleared-to-spar-but-ufc-return-not-on-the-horizon-yet) in June that the former UFC middleweight champion felt "unsafe" when attempting to kick in training and that it was "absolutely normal," and Silva admitted he’s still afraid.
"I’ve worked with a psychologist so I can get rid of the ghosts of those horrible moments of that fight, when I had that accident," he said of his rematch with Weidman in December. "I’m a little apprehensive in training. I know I can execute the movement, but I end up not doing it for fear."
"Yeah, I won’t get hurt. I know I won’t get hurt, but fear is natural," he added. "I don’t want to feel that pain ever again. No way."
With his leg "at 91 percent," Silva returns to Rio de Janeiro to complete his training camp for UFC 183.
"I feel better training in Brazil," he explained. "And, so I can be at my 100 percent to return to fighting, I’d rather train in Brazil."
The clash with Diaz will be Silva’s first middleweight non-title fight since 2007, when number one contender Travis Lutter failed to make weight and the 185-pound title wasn’t on the line at UFC 67. And even if Silva is successful in his return to MMA, the Brazilian won’t go after the title again.
"I’m over this thing of being champion, having the title," he said. "The truth is, there will only be one Ayrton Senna, there will only be one Pele, and there will only be one Anderson Silva, so whoever saw me (as champion), saw me. Who haven’t seen me (as champion), won’t see it.
"In a way you’ll see me (fight again), but not for the belt, that thing of being champion again. I don’t have patience for this. I think I’m closer to retirement every day."
http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/38187250/Anderson_Silva.0_standard_783.0.jpg
Thirteen months after breaking his left tibia and fibula at the UFC 168 (http://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/566/ufc-168-weidman-vs-silva) main event in Las Vegas against Chris Weidman (http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/352/chris-weidman), "The Spider" headlines the UFC 183 (http://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/645/ufc-183) card in the same city, but has yet to reach his full potential in training.
"I feel no pain at all," Silva said in an interview to Fantastico (http://g1.globo.com/fantastico/noticia/2014/09/cada-dia-que-passa-fico-mais-perto-de-me-aposentar-diz-anderson-silva.html). "My strength is back because I’m back to training. The hardest part is self-confidence, to kick again as I used to."
Silva’s doctor, Dr. Marcio Tannure told MMAFighting.com (http://www.mmafighting.com/2014/6/20/5827792/anderson-silva-cleared-to-spar-but-ufc-return-not-on-the-horizon-yet) in June that the former UFC middleweight champion felt "unsafe" when attempting to kick in training and that it was "absolutely normal," and Silva admitted he’s still afraid.
"I’ve worked with a psychologist so I can get rid of the ghosts of those horrible moments of that fight, when I had that accident," he said of his rematch with Weidman in December. "I’m a little apprehensive in training. I know I can execute the movement, but I end up not doing it for fear."
"Yeah, I won’t get hurt. I know I won’t get hurt, but fear is natural," he added. "I don’t want to feel that pain ever again. No way."
With his leg "at 91 percent," Silva returns to Rio de Janeiro to complete his training camp for UFC 183.
"I feel better training in Brazil," he explained. "And, so I can be at my 100 percent to return to fighting, I’d rather train in Brazil."
The clash with Diaz will be Silva’s first middleweight non-title fight since 2007, when number one contender Travis Lutter failed to make weight and the 185-pound title wasn’t on the line at UFC 67. And even if Silva is successful in his return to MMA, the Brazilian won’t go after the title again.
"I’m over this thing of being champion, having the title," he said. "The truth is, there will only be one Ayrton Senna, there will only be one Pele, and there will only be one Anderson Silva, so whoever saw me (as champion), saw me. Who haven’t seen me (as champion), won’t see it.
"In a way you’ll see me (fight again), but not for the belt, that thing of being champion again. I don’t have patience for this. I think I’m closer to retirement every day."
http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/38187250/Anderson_Silva.0_standard_783.0.jpg