Anderson Silva won’t be able to fight in front of his hometown fans after the former middleweight champion was forced to pull out of UFC 198 due to an abdominal pain that may require gall bladder surgery, Dana White confirmed to Yahoo! Sports on Tuesday.
UFC’s medical consultant, Jeff Davidson, told Yahoo! Sports that Silva will remain in Brazil to be examined for potential gall bladder surgery. Silva, 41, was scheduled to go up against No. 10 ranked middleweight Uriah Hall.
“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.”
One of the greatest fighters in UFC history, Silva is 0-3 with a no-contest in his last four bouts. 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 event.
UFC 198, which takes place May 14 in Curitiba, Brazil, now has a serious hole to fill and Dana White said he is looking to find a new opponent for Hall to fight to ensure he stays on the card.
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.