Antonio Silva (fighter)

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Antonio Silva
Born (1979-09-14) September 14, 1979 (age 33)
Brasília, Brazil[1]
Other names Bigfoot (Pezão)
Nationality Brazilian
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight 262 lb (119 kg; 18 st 10 lb)
Division Heavyweight (265) (2005–present)
Super Heavyweight (2005–2006)
Reach 82 in (208 cm)
Style Karate, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo
Fighting out of Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil
Team Black House MMA
Team Nogueira
American Top Team
Rank

     black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
     black belt in Judo

     black belt in Karate
Years active 2005–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total 22
Wins 18
By knockout 13
By submission 3
By decision 2
Losses 4
By knockout 3
By submission 0
By decision 1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

António Carlos Silva[2] (born September 14, 1979) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the heavyweight division of the UFC. He is the first and last EliteXC heavyweight champion. Silva is currently ranked the #5 heavyweight in the world by Sherdog.[3]

Contents

Mixed martial arts career [edit]

He has competed in several organizations, including UFC, Strikeforce, EliteXC, Sengoku and Hero's.

Club affiliation [edit]

Antonio Silva began his career with the UK-based Wolfslair MMA Academy in 2005. In 2006, after his bout with Tadas Rinkevicius, Wolfslair requested (to Silva's instructor Mario Neto) that Silva leave the team and return to Brazil. The gym claims Silva owed it over £20,000; however, Silva states that it owed him £6,000 in fighter purses for two fights, for which he was promised £3,000 each. After training with Brazilian Top Team during the dispute, Silva joined American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida.[4] He also trained at the Imperial Athletics gym in Boca Raton, Florida, for his quarterfinal bout with Fedor Emelianenko in the Strikeforce World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament.[5]

EliteXC [edit]

On February 10, 2007, Silva made his EliteXC debut at EliteXC: Destiny, against UFC veteran Wesley Correira. Silva won by TKO due to strikes in the first round.

Silva was originally scheduled to fight on the Dynamite!! USA card as a representative of EliteXC. He was to face Jonathan Wiezorek, but the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) discovered a benign tumor on his pituitary gland in his pre-fight medicals and refused to license the fighter. As a result, Silva underwent brain surgery that summer in order to have the tumor removed.[6]

Post-surgery, Silva finally faced Jonathan Wiezorek at EliteXC: Renegade in November 2007. He won the fight by rear naked choke in the first round. His next victory came over former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez.

On July 26, 2008, Silva won the EliteXC Heavyweight title, with a second round TKO win over UFC veteran Justin Eilers. Silva later tested positive for the anabolic steroid Boldenone, and was suspended for one year and fined $2,500 by the California State Athletic Commission.[7] According to Silva's manager, Alex Davis, the positive test was caused by Silva's use of Novedex, a testosterone-booster he takes to raise his low testosterone levels (a symptom of his acromegaly). "He has to treat it", said Davis. "He spends between $6,000 and $8,000 a month just on medicine for it. He needs to be able to keep fighting to make a living. If it's between Antonio's health and pleasing the athletic commission, we have to choose his health."[8]

Sengoku [edit]

Soon after, Silva signed on to fight at Sengoku 7. He was advised not to fight in Japan by the California State Athletic Commission. He ignored this advice, and continued to claim that he had not used steroids. At the January 4, 2009 event, he defeated Yoshihiro "KISS" Nakao by TKO when Nakao suffered a knee injury in the first round.

At Sengoku 10 he fought Jim York, winning by submission in the first round. With both fighters looking tentative on the feet, Silva took York down once, but was stood up by the referee. Later in the round, he took York down again, assuming the half-guard position and landing effective hammerfists and punches, before moving into an arm triangle choke from the side control position to secure victory.

Strikeforce [edit]

On November 7, 2009, Silva suffered the second loss of his career, losing a decision to Fabricio Werdum at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers. After dominating the first round, Silva fractured his left hand in the beginning of the second.[9][10][11]

Silva defeated former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski on May 15, 2010, at Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery,[12] via decision.

He was scheduled to face Valentijn Overeem on Dec. 4, but Overeem suffered an injury and withdrew from the fight.[13] He was replaced by Mike Kyle.[14] Kyle knocked down Silva in the first round with a punch, but Silva survived Kyle's ground and pound and recovered. In the second round, Silva mounted Kyle and forced a TKO stoppage with punches.

Silva defeated Fedor Emelianenko in the quarterfinal round of the 2011 Strikeforce World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament, via doctor stoppage between the second and third rounds. He was expected to meet Alistair Overeem in the semifinals, but Overeem withdrew from the fight due to injury. He was replaced by one of the tournament alternates, Daniel Cormier. Cormier knocked Silva out with standing punches at 3:56 of round 1.

Ultimate Fighting Championship [edit]

On January 7, 2012, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira told "Portal do Vale Tudo" Silva had signed a UFC contract. Silva was scheduled to debut against Roy Nelson on May 26, 2012 at UFC 146,[15] but was rescheduled to face Cain Velasquez instead.[16] Velasquez defeated Silva by TKO in the first round.

Silva faced Travis Browne on October 5, 2012 at UFC on FX 5.[17] Early in the fight Browne injured his hamstring, limiting his movement. Silva capitalized on Browne's limited mobility by backing him against the cage. After a big right sent Browne to the canvas, Silva finished him off with strikes on the ground for a first round TKO victory.

Silva next faced Alistair Overeem on February 2, 2013 at UFC 156.[18] Leading up to the fight, Overeem was dismissive of Silva's skills, claiming he was better than his opponent in every aspect of MMA.[19] Despite being a significant underdog and losing the first and second rounds, Silva won the fight via KO in the third round. The win also earned Silva his first Knockout of the Night honor.[20]

Silva is set to face Cain Velasquez in a rematch for the UFC Heavyweight Championship on May 25, 2013 at UFC 160.[21]

Championships and accomplishments [edit]

Mixed martial arts [edit]

  • Strikeforce
    • 2011 Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Semifinalist

Mixed martial arts record [edit]

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Cain Velasquez UFC 160 02013-05-25May 25, 2013 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States For the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Win 18–4 Alistair Overeem KO (punches) UFC 156 02013-02-02February 2, 2013 3 0:25 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States UFC Heavyweight title eliminator; Knockout of the Night.
Win 17–4 Travis Browne TKO (punches) UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot 02012-10-05October 5, 2012 1 3:27 Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Loss 16–4 Cain Velasquez TKO (punches) UFC 146 02012-05-26May 26, 2012 1 3:36 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 16–3 Daniel Cormier KO (punches) Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov 02011-09-10September 10, 2011 1 3:56 Cincinnati, Ohio, United States Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal
Win 16–2 Fedor Emelianenko TKO (doctor stoppage) Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva 02011-02-12February 12, 2011 2 5:00 East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Win 15–2 Mike Kyle KO (punches) Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II 02010-12-04December 4, 2010 2 2:49 St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Win 14–2 Andrei Arlovski Decision (unanimous) Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery 02010-05-15May 15, 2010 3 5:00 St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Loss 13–2 Fabricio Werdum Decision (unanimous) Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers 02009-11-07November 7, 2009 3 5:00 Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States
Win 13–1 Jim York Submission (arm-triangle choke) Sengoku 10 02009-09-23September 23, 2009 1 3:51 Saitama, Japan
Win 12–1 Yoshihiro Nakao TKO (knee injury) Sengoku no Ran 2009 02009-01-04January 4, 2009 1 1:42 Saitama, Japan
Win 11–1 Justin Eilers TKO (knees and punches) EliteXC: Unfinished Business 02008-07-26July 26, 2008 2 0:19 Stockton, California, United States Won EliteXC Heavyweight Championship. Tested positive for boldenone post-fight.
Win 10–1 Ricco Rodriguez Decision (split) EliteXC: Street Certified 02008-02-16February 16, 2008 3 5:00 Miami, Florida, United States
Win 9–1 Jonathan Wiezorek Submission (rear naked choke) EliteXC: Renegade 02007-11-10November 10, 2007 1 3:12 Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Win 8–1 Wesley Correira TKO (punches) EliteXC: Destiny 02007-02-10February 10, 2007 1 3:49 Southaven, Mississippi, United States
Loss 7–1 Eric Pele TKO (punches) BodogFight: USA vs. Russia 02006-12-02December 2, 2006 1 2:40 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Win 7–0 Georgy Kaysinov KO (punch) Hero's 7 02006-10-09October 9, 2006 1 1:08 Yokohama, Japan
Win 6–0 Tom Erikson TKO (punches) Hero's 5 02006-05-03May 3, 2006 1 2:49 Tokyo, Japan
Win 5–0 Tadas Rimkevičius KO (punches) CWFC: Strike Force 5 02006-03-25March 25, 2006 1 3:22 Coventry, United Kingdom
Win 4–0 Ruben Villareal TKO (punches) CWFC: Strike Force 4 02005-11-26November 26, 2005 1 3:07 Coventry, United Kingdom Won Cage Warriors Super Heavyweight Championship
Win 3–0 Rafael Carino TKO (corner stoppage) Cage Rage 12: The Real Deal 02005-07-02July 2, 2005 1 2:55 London, United Kingdom Won Cage Rage World Heavyweight Championship
Win 2–0 Marcus Tchinda Submission (punches) CWFC: Strike Force 02005-05-02May 2, 2005 1 3:03 Coventry, United Kingdom
Win 1–0 Tengiz Tedoradze TKO (punches) UKMMAC 10: Slugfest 02005-03-06March 6, 2005 1 0:48 Colchester, United Kingdom

See also [edit]

Footnotes [edit]

  1. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNHZ_MpOgyw
  2. ^ http://boxing.nv.gov/2012%20Results%20Web/05-26-12%20MMA.pdf
  3. ^ "Sherdog's Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings". sherdog.com. December 31, 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-31. 
  4. ^ Antonio Silva: "I want to tell you my side of the story" | MMA Shorts | MMA Gloves | MMA Clothing | MMA Equipment. MMAUniverse.com (August 8, 2006). Retrieved on February 14, 2011.
  5. ^ Big Foot fight camp for the fight against Fedor. YouTube. Retrieved on February 14, 2011.
  6. ^ "Antonio Silva Exclusive Interview". mmasportsmag.com. February 2, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2013. 
  7. ^ "Silva, Dewees Test Positive". Sherdog.com. 2008. Archived from the original on August 22, 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2008. 
  8. ^ MMA Steroid Busts: The Definitive Timeline | CagepotatoCagepotato. Cagepotato.com. Retrieved on February 14, 2011.
  9. ^ Sherdog.com. "Fedor Bloodied But Victorious". Sherdog.com. Retrieved July 29, 2010. 
  10. ^ Morgan, John. (March 25, 2010) Silva wants rematch with Werdum after dispatching of Arlovski at Strikeforce St. Louis. MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved on February 14, 2011.
  11. ^ March 25, 2010 (March 25, 2010). "Antonio "Big Foot" Silva wants a rematch with Werdum after he takes out Arlovski , UFC/MMA News In One Place , MMABay: Powered by TapouT". MMABay. Retrieved July 29, 2010. 
  12. ^ "Overeem vs. Rogers, Arlovski vs. "Bigfoot" official for May 15 Strikeforce event in St. Louis". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2010. Retrieved March 19, 2010. 
  13. ^ "Valentijn Overeem Injured, Strikeforce Debut Nixed". MMAWeekly.com. November 27, 2010. 
  14. ^ "Mike Kyle Tapped to Face Antonio Silva for Strikeforce". MMAWeekly.com. November 29, 2010. 
  15. ^ "Antonio Silva vs. Roy Nelson slated for UFC 146 in Las Vegas". mmajunkie.com. March 7, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2012. 
  16. ^ "UFC 146: Cain Velasquez vs Antonio Silva booked for May 26 in Las Vegas". mmamania.com. April 22, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2012. 
  17. ^ "Heavyweights Travis Browne, Antonio Silva to headline UFC on FX 5 in Minneapolis". mmajunkie.com. July 27, 2012. 
  18. ^ "Overeem eyes return at UFC 156 to face 'Bigfoot' Silva on Super Bowl weekend.". http://www.lvrj.com. November 13, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2012. 
  19. ^ "Alistair Overeem says Bigfoot Silva will be just another statistic after UFC 156 knockout". MMAmania.com. January 28, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2013. 
  20. ^ "UFC 156 Bonuses: Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar, 'Bigfoot' Silva, Bobby Green banks $50,000 apiece". sherdog.com. February 2, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2013. 
  21. ^ Matt Erickson (2013-02-12). "Velasquez-Silva 2, Dos Santos-Overeem booked for UFC 160 in May". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-02-12. 

External links [edit]

Achievements
New championship 1st Elite XC Heavyweight Champion
July 26, 2008 – October 20, 2008		 Incumbent
New championship 1st Cage Warriors Super Heavyweight Champion
November 26, 2005 – present		 Incumbent
Vacant
Title last held by
Ian Freeman		 3rd Cage Rage World Heavyweight Champion
July 2, 2005 – October 20, 2008		 Incumbent
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