Smiling Anderson Silva posts new photo, on crutches

I want to say thank you to all my fans and friends to support me at this moment,I wish a great and happy 2014 to all http://t.co/nzhmvoNSca—
Anderson Silva (@SpiderAnderson) January 02, 2014

About four days after suffering a broken leg in a UFC 168 main-event loss to middleweight champion Chris Weidman, former titleholder Anderson Silva looks to be in much better spirits.

Silva (33-6 MMA, 16-2 UFC), who broke his left tibia and fibula while throwing a low kick at Weidman (11-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in the Dec. 28 rematch, today tweeted a picture. The image shows Silva, on crutches, smiling and surrounded by his family. He wishes his supporters a happy new year.

On Monday Dr. Steven Sanders, the UFC’s orthopedic surgeon who performed the 38-year-old’s surgery, said Silva asked him about the possibility of a return even before the procedure. He said Silva planned to try out crutches as soon as he could.

“My prognosis for healing is three to six months,” Sanders said. “But there are also soft tissue components that have to heal. If I had to make a guess less than 48 hours from the operation, it would be the fracture healing in three to six months, and attempting to train, six to nine months.”

For more on this story, check out:

• Surgeon says Anderson Silva could train again in six to nine months – and is asking when he can return
• Corey Hill’s sobering advice for Anderson Silva and his return from a broken leg
• Anderson Silva’s son wants his dad to stop fighting
• Is a gruesome injury the end for Anderson Silva?
• UFC 168: Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva full fight video highlights
• Photo: The moment Anderson Silva breaks his leg at UFC 168 (warning: graphic)

For complete coverage of UFC 168, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.