Anderson Silva previously said that returning in 2014 will be a long shot, but the former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion had a sudden change of tune.

Silva, who is recovering from a gruesome leg injury he suffered during his second showdown with Chris Weidman in December, said in an interview with UFC Fight Pass that he could make his return to the Octagon later this year.

Silva said that he is doing well in his recovery from the surgery that repaired a broken tibia and fibula in his left leg, adding that he will be ready to fight again soon.

"I'm feeling well," Silva said, via Bloody Elbow. "I would be ready to fight this year. Another couple of months and I would be ready to fight again. But I'm having this opportunity to spend more time with my family to focus and work over my personal projects. I'm making the most of this moment to look after my personal things and to be with my family."

The 38-year-old Brazilian admitted that the hardest part of his recovery is telling himself that it is safe to use his left leg again for kicking, but he is now overcoming his fears.

"I was a bit worried, but then I thought to myself, 'I have been doing this since I was kid - let's kick!' Let's do what needs to be done," Silva said.

Aside from strengthening his injured leg, Silva is also busy preparing for another career - becoming a Los Angeles Police Department officer.

In an interview with Folha De Sao Paulo, Silva revealed that he is currently studying to become an LAPD police officer for the past several weeks.

"I train every morning, take my kids to school and go to the police school," Silva said, via MMA Fighting. "I'm studying at the Los Angeles School Police Department. I'm studying to become a police officer."

Silva said that he is training to become an officer to honor his uncle, adding that his brothers and nephews are also police officers.

"It's a personal wish, something that will make my uncle happy," Silva said. "He thought it was a little weird that I'm not doing this here (in Brazil), but it wasn't the right time. My brothers are police officers, my nephews are police officers. It's a family thing."