Anderson Silva is thought by many to be the greatest mixed martial arts fighter in history. The former Middleweight champion is a national hero in his native country of Brazil and is equally lauded here in the States by UFC fans. With a stunning 16 and 0 record in the UFC, not many thought that "the Spider" could be defeated... until he was this past July at UFC 162.

A mix of defensive mishaps and the fact that Silva severely undervalued the skillset of his competitor, Chris "All American" Weidman, was his undoing this past July. He got caught with his hands on his hips, preening and taunting the challenger to hit him. A normal Silva fight would've ended with Weidman going for the kill shot and getting caught via a vicious counter. However, Silva had no such luck and Weidman knocked him out.

Last night's fight, the rematch at UFC 168, was supposed to be Anderson Silva's return to dominance. He said he would tone down the posturing, that he was working hard to get the belt back. In many ways, Silva did take this fight more seriously but the rarest of injuries undid all his hard work. In the second round Silva began to do what he does best, kicking his opponent's lower legs in an effort to make them unbalanced. Weidman knew this strategy would be put in play and as Silva went to kick him, he checked the kick. Silva's shin immediately snapped in half. His shin and foot wrapped around Weidman's leg and he fell to the ground overcome with pain.

Even if Silva, 38, were younger his career would still be in jeopardy. Although he's not an old man by traditional standards, Silva was fighting in the UFC on borrowed time. He will undergo immediate surgery. The gruesome injury will take months to heal and then rehabilitation will have to begin. With his record now standing at 16 and 2 in the UFC, should Silva retire with his legacy intact or try to get back in the win column? He says he has other things to do.

"I have my projects out of the UFC and I want to put them into practice," Silva said.

"To open my school (martial arts) in Los Angeles. I do my thing, take a breath a little, take time with my family. I have better things to do (than just taking punches in the face)."

Whatever his decision, Anderson Silva's invincibility was literally and figuratively shattered by Chris Weidman twice in a six month span. Even legends have to call it quits sometime. It seems it's time for Silva to spin his way to retirement.