OH, SNAP: UFC fighter Anderson Silva shatters leg

GRAPHIC VIDEO: THE UFC has ended 2013 with a shocking finish after Anderson Silva's leg snapped in an injury that has been described as one of the most horrific in an already brutal sport.

Silva's injury in the main event at UFC 168 cast a pall over arguably the UFC's biggest fight card of the year, reminding every fan of the rapidly growing sport of the brutality frequently at its core.

Anderson Silva, of Brazil, clutches his shattered leg after kicking Chris Weidman during the UFC 168.

The Brazilian's leg snapped when he attemped a low leg kick on middleweight champion Chris Weidman.

UFC fighter Anderson Silva screams in agony after kicking Chris Weidman and breaking his leg during the UFC 168 mixed martial arts middleweight championship bout in Las Vegas. Source: AP

Although the injury happened too quickly to be seen by most naked eyes at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, thousands of fans cringed audibly when the replay was shown once on the arena's big screens.

Silva left the octagon with a brace on his leg. Weidman paid tribute to the injured ex-champion, calling him the greatest fighter in the sport's history.

Weidman quietly celebrated his victory at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas while medical personnel tended to the injured Brazilian, whose left shin bent grotesquely while landing a kick on Weidman's left leg.

Weidman, who eaed his belt with an upset victory over the long-reigning champion in July, also dominated the first round of the rematch.

"I did work on checking kicks,'' the New Yorker said. "I figured if I (caught) him on my knee, it could really hurt him. Crazy how this happened.''

Silva's nearly seven-year reign atop the middleweight division ended nearly six months ago when Weidman stopped the champion with a left hook at UFC 162.

Thousands of Brazilian fans - including retired soccer star Ronaldo - chanted, sang and waved flags for Silva and several Brazilian undercard fighters, creating a semblance of the huge home-cage advantage enjoyed by their fighters back home.