Middleweight kingpin likely to hang up gloves at end of current deal

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, who is considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist in the world, is planning to retire at the age of 35, his manager Ed Soares told NBCSports.com.

Silva made waves in the MMA community last week when he reportedly told a Brazilian cable channel that he expected to retire next year. The interview has not yet aired but the alleged statement was released in a written excerpt.

Soares said Silva retiring next year was "absolutely impossible," but that he likely would finish his current contract before calling it quits.