Anderson Silva will return to the Octagon in January, more than a year after sustaining a gruesome leg injury in his rematch with Chris Weidman in December last year, his manager confirmed.
In an MMA Hour interview, Ed Soares, Silva's manager, said that returning by the end of the year is still a possibility, but he insisted that a comeback in early January next year is a more realistic target.
"He's definitely coming back," Soares said of Silva. "There's always a chance (he comes back in 2014), but as of right now I think his mind is set on fighting at the beginning of next year."
Soares also revealed that they already have a short list of possible opponent, which includes Michael Bisping, Nick Diaz, and Cung Le, with Diaz considered as the most likely foe of Silva in his return bout.
"There's Michael Bisping, there's Cung Le. Even Nick Diaz," Soarez said. "Nick Diaz has said he's wanted to fight him before. Nick Diaz wanted to box Roy Jones Jr. You could argue that Nick Diaz and Anderson probably have some of the best boxing in MMA, so we'll see what happens."
When asked about Soares' statement on Silva's possible opponent in his comeback fight, UFC president Dana White said that all three are realistic options, but he is not closing his doors to other fighters, saying that anything can still happen from now until Silva's much-awaited return to the Octagon.
Like Soarez, White also feels that Diaz is the most likely option, considering the fact that the 30-year-old American previously expressed interest in facing Silva.
"I think that the landscape changes so much in MMA that by the time Anderson comes back, we'll see who's where and who's doing what. Any of those fights can happen. Nick Diaz has made it very clear that he would love to fight Anderson Silva," White said via UFC.com.
Silva, who is considered by many as the greatest UFC fighter of all time, has been recovering faster than expected from the surgery that repaired a broken fibula and tibia in his left leg.
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