The legendary former UFC champion is ill and out of his fight with Uriah Hall at UFC 198 on Saturday in Curitiba, Brazil, the promotion announced Tuesday. Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole was the first to report the news. Silva is experiencing abdominal pains and might need surgery to remove his gall bladder, the report stated.
Silva (33-7, 1 NC) is regarded as perhaps the greatest UFC fighter of all time. The former middleweight champion compiled 16 straight wins and 10 straight middleweight title defenses, both UFC records. However, he has not won a fight since 2012 with three losses and a no contest on his record.