Anderson Silva rushed to hospital, out of UFC 198

Kevin Iole | Cagewriter

11 May 2016 at 7:08 pm

Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has been forced to pull out of his homecoming fight in Curitiba, Brazil, with Uriah Hall because of abdominal pain that may require gall bladder surgery, UFC president Dana White confirmed to Yahoo Sports.

Jeff Davidson, the UFC's medical consultant, told Yahoo Sports that Silva, 41, will be examined in Brazil for potential gall bladder surgery.

"Anderson developed abdominal discomfort [Monday and] further evaluation today is consistent with acute cholecystitis," Davidson said Tuesday. "He will be seen by a surgeon today for possible surgery."

Cholecystitis is inflammation of the gall bladder and is a primary reason patients have their gall bladders removed.

Silva's removal from the show puts a major dent in the UFC 198 card. White said he is trying to find an opponent for Hall to keep him on the card.

Silva, considered by many to be the greatest mixed martial artist in the sport's brief history, is 0-3 with a no contest in his last four outings. He dropped a decision to Michael Bisping in London on Feb. 27. He won his previous fight, against Nick Diaz, at UFC 183 on Jan. 31, 2015, but tested positive for several banned substances, including drostanalone, an anabolic steroid, following the bout.

He was suspended for a year, retroactive to the date of the fight, and the win over Diaz was changed to a no contest.

Fabricio Werdum will defend the heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in the card's main event. Vitor Belfort will meet Jacare Souza in the co-main in a middleweight bout.