At what age did Anderson Silva's leg break?
![Chris Weidman (Left), Anderson Silva (Right) [Credits: @ufc on Twitter]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/09/a3e49-16312716673203-800.jpg?w=500)
Anderson Silva was 38 when he snapped his tibia and fibula in his rematch against Chris Weidman at UFC 168 on December 28, 2013.
'The Spider' faced Chris Weidman in an immediate rematch following Weidman's victory over Silva for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 162.
During the second round of their rematch, Anderson Silva threw a heavy left leg kick that Chris Weidman checked efficiently. The impact on Silva's shin and Weidman's left knee caused it to snap immediately.
The former champion fell to the canvas with his leg in his hands, overcome with agony.
Anderson Silva was rushed to the hospital from the MGM Grand Arena, where UFC's orthopedic surgeon Dr. Steven Sanders performed surgery. The operation involved the insertion of an intramedullary rod into Silva's left tibia.
Anderson Silva returned to the octagon amidst mixed emotions of excitement and dismay from the MMA community. He returned to bring-to-life his classic middleweight bout against Nick Diaz.
Although Silva won via unanimous decision, the fight was ruled a no-contest after he tested positive for drostanolone and androsterone while Diaz tested positive for marijuana.
What happened in Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman 1?
Anderson Silva's first encounter with Chris Weidman took place in July 2013. At the time, Anderson Silva was at the peak of his powers. Despite considering retirement after beating Stephan Bonnar in a light heavyweight bout in October 2012, Silva decided to defend his title again.
Silva was riding an unbeaten streak of 16 wins, a record that remains unbeaten to date. He had defended his title ten times, falling one title defense shy of Demetrious Johnson's record of eleven successful title defenses.
Meanwhile, Chris Weidman was an undefeated fighter with a 9-0 record at the time.
The fight saw Weidman perform exceptionally well on the feet and the ground. He executed a double-leg takedown early in the contest and dished ground-and-pound strikes.
Anderson Silva, on the other hand, employed heavy leg kicks in abundance, something which Chris Weidman would come prepared for in their next fight.
'The Spider' employed a lot of antics to draw Weidman in and play with his mind. However, the antics cost Silva dearly in round two.
While urging Weidman to throw strikes, Silva pretended to be hurt. Chris Weidman maintained his focus and continued his assault, catching Anderson Silva clean and knocking him down. He then engaged in ground-and-pound, doing enough for the referee to call a stop to the contest. In doing so, Chris Weidman ended Anderson Silva's seven-year-long reign over the middleweight division.