UFC releases official statement on Anderson Silva, recovery timeline following surgery

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Anderson Silva underwent successful gall bladder surgery on Wednesday (May 10, 2016), after being forced to withdraw from this weekend’s UFC 198 pay-per-view (PPV) fight card in Brazil.

UFC.com has the promotion’s “official” statement, as well as a timeline for return.

Earlier this week, medical personnel determined that Anderson Silva was suffering from inflammation of the gallbladder, a serious ailment that forced him off the UFC 198 card. As a result of the condition, Silva had successful, minimally invasive surgery in Brazil today to remove the gallbladder. He is now resting comfortably following the procedure.

The recovery period following the surgery is estimated at 4-6 weeks and Silva will be reexamined by doctors before being cleared to return to training. Silva thanks all of his fans around the world for their support and words of encouragement during this time.