Referee Herb Dean waved off the fight when Silva fell back, clutching his leg with both hands. Silva left the octagon strapped to a stretcher with a brace on his leg, screaming in pain.
Experts fear the injury could be the end of Silva's career as a fighter. Many are already saying it is the end of an era in UFC fighting, where Silva held the middleweight title belt for six years - the longest reign in the history of the sport.