Report: Anderson Silva hospitalized with back injury, Nick Diaz fight still on

Is Anderson Silva beginning to show his age?

The legendary former UFC middleweight champion had a scary moment Monday morning when he felt severe pain in his back after jiu-jitsu training at X Gym in Rio de Janeiro and lost feeling in his legs, according to a report by Combate. Silva, 39, was immediately rushed to the hospital.

Silva (33-6), regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in UFC history, remained there overnight, but was cleared Tuesday morning. His main event fight with Nick Diaz at UFC 183 on Jan. 31 is not in jeopardy.

Dr. Marcio Tannure, the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission medical director, told Combate (translated by MMA Fighting) that "The Spider" was diagnosed solely with lower back pain.

"He felt a severe pain because of the contracture," Dr. Tannure said. "It really hurts a lot, but it won’t change anything in terms of training. The issue he had explains the pain but won’t get him sidelined or even cancel the bout."

So, it seems like Silva will return to normal training shortly. Still, it's a worrisome event for an athlete who is attempting to come back from a gruesome broken leg he suffered last December in a loss to Chris Weidman.