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For the second time in six years, a leg injury caused by a kick forced former middleweight champion Anderson Silva to retire from a UFC fight.
Silva (34-10, 1 NC), who had a broken leg in the title loss in 2013 against Chris Weidman, was unable to continue late in the first round of the co-main fight of the day. UFC 237 Saturday after a kick inside Jared Cannonier's leg. (12-4) caused a right knee injury.
The first-round defeat against TKO was the second consecutive defeat of Silva, a 44-year-old Brazilian legend who was fighting in front of a partisan crowd in Rio de Janeiro. Although the Sao Paulo native would have negotiated a new contract with UFC to get into this fight, the loss could be particularly detrimental to his future if the injury was serious.
Silva, who has fallen to 1-6 with 1 NC since 2013 during a period during which he failed twice in a drug test, was able to stand and walk with Help inside the Octagon after the loss, but was visibly suffering from pain.
"I'm sorry guys," Silva said to the crowd. "At the training, my knee was already very bad, I took a kick and I could not hold on, I'm really sorry."
The crowd immediately mocked the finish and Cannonier, 35, was barely able to conduct his post-fight interview while he was serenading with huge ones. boos.
"Thanks to Anderson Silva, I really appreciate the opportunity to step in. He did not have to fight, he could have fought anybody but he chose to come in and fight, "Cannonier said. "The crowd is another story, they do not respect me and I do not respect them and that's all."
Cannonier did well to put pressure on Silva in the first round with a short right hand to support him regularly until the cage. Although Silva was able to pretend enough to create space, he was never able to achieve anything important.
Even after Silva trapped Cannonier in his patented muay thai fixture late in the round, Cannonier was knocked out by heavy hooks that landed on the floor. Shortly after, he uncorked an inside kick that made Silva's right knee bend to the side and let go.
Cannonier jumped to hit shots when referee Herb Dean dipped to end the fight at 4:47.
For the full results of UFC 237, click here.
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