Video: Former UFC champ Anderson Silva is sparring again

As we reported this past week, former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has been cleared to resume training after his recovery from a broken leg. Check out the video footage from one of his first sessions.

The Comissao Atletica Brasileira de MMA (CABMMA), Brazil’s regulatory MMA body, recently announced that Silva (33-6 MMA, 16-2 UFC) had been cleared to train. The Brazilian confirmed the decision and said he was ready to go full speed in the gym.

Silva (33-6 MMA, 16-2 UFC), who lives in Los Angeles, has been sidelined since late December. In UFC 168's main event, he suffered a gruesome leg break when Chris Weidman checked a kick and forced a TKO stoppage, which marked his second straight win over the former long-reigning titleholder.

Silva plans a return to the sport, likely in 2015. We recently asked some MMA notables about his timeline, including Weidman:

The progress “The Spider” has made since the break has been fairly phenomenal. In early February, he walked down stairs. Midway through the month, he posted a training photo online, saying that “I’m coming back.” Eight weeks after the injury, he already was hitting pads.

Silva has been back in the news again recently – though he’s never been far from it – when UFC President Dana White said he was interested in putting together a fight between Silva, a middleweight who occasionally has fought up at light heavyweight, and Nick Diaz, a veteran welterweight who’s been on the sidelines since March 2013.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.