Anderson Silva loses via TKO after apparent knee injury vs. Jared Cannonier at UFC 237

This was not the return to Brazil that Anderson Silva wanted.

Silva, the former longtime UFC middleweight champion, was hesitant during the first round of his UFC 237 fight with Jared Cannonier on Saturday night. The round mostly belonged to “The Killa Gorilla” until the fight ended in an unfortunate fashion.

In the closing seconds, Cannonier (12-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) threw an inside leg kick that buckled Silva’s knee. It was immediately evident that Silva (34-10 MMA, 17-6 UFC) was in pain as he fell to the canvas, causing referee Herb Dean to step in at the 4:47 mark, declaring Cannonier the winner by TKO.

The middleweight bout was the UFC 237 co-main event from Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro and streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view.

Afterward, Silva admitted to struggling with his right knee during training camp. He was in noticeable pain as he apologized to the crowd.

“I’m sorry, guys,” Silva said through an interpreter. “In training, my knee was already a little bit bad, and I took a kick to it, and I just couldn’t hold up. I’m really sorry.”

For his efforts, Cannonier heard from the Brazilian crowd, which rained boos on him during his post-fight interview. Cannonier soaked it in and initially stayed silent before speaking.

“I really appreciate the opportunity to step in here. He didn’t have to fight me. He could’ve fought anybody he wanted to,” Cannonier said. “… So I want to show my appreciation and my respect for him. But the crowd is a different story. They don’t respect me, and I ain’t got not respect for them. That’s just it.”

With the win, Cannonier now has won two fights in a row. Silva, meanwhile, suffers his second straight defeat.