Antônio Silva (fighter)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Antônio Silva
Silva in 2013
Born (1979-09-14) 14 September 1979 (age 44)
Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil[1]
Other namesBigfoot
Height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight264 lb (120 kg; 18 st 12 lb)
DivisionHeavyweight
Super Heavyweight
Reach82 in (208 cm)[2]
StyleKickboxing
StanceOrthodox
Fighting out ofCampina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil
TeamWolfslair MMA (2005–2006)[3]
American Top Team (2006–2009, 2012–present)
Blackzilians (2011–2012)[4]
Team Nogueira (2011–present)[5]
RankBlack belt in Shotokan Karate[citation needed]
Black belt in Judo[citation needed]
Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[6]
Years active2005–present
Kickboxing record
Total2
Losses2
By knockout2
Mixed martial arts record
Total36
Wins19
By knockout15
By submission2
By decision2
Losses15
By knockout12
By decision3
Draws1
No contests1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Antônio Silva (born 14 September 1979) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer who formerly competed in the Heavyweight division. Silva has competed for the UFC, Strikeforce, EliteXC, Cage Rage, Fight Nights Global, World Victory Road, K-1 HERO'S, and Cage Warriors. He is the former EliteXC Heavyweight Champion, Cage Rage World Heavyweight Champion, and Cage Warriors Super Heavyweight Champion.

Background[edit]

Originally from Brasília, Distrito Federal, Silva began training in karate at the age of four, and received his black belt at the age of 12. After 14 years of karate training, Silva transitioned to Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo at the age of 17.[7]

Mixed martial arts career[edit]

Club affiliation[edit]

Silva began his career with the UK-based Wolfslair MMA Academy in 2005.[3] In 2006, after his bout with Tadas Rimkevicius, 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.[8] 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.[9]

Early career[edit]

Silva made his professional debut in the United Kingdom against Georgian fighter Tengiz Tedoradze, who would become the Cage Rage British Heavyweight Champion two fights later. Silva was impressive in his debut, winning by TKO only 48 seconds into the fight. In his next bout, Silva made his Cage Warriors debut and won again via strikes after his opponent submitted.

Silva then made his Cage Rage debut and became the Cage Rage World Heavyweight Champion after defeating his opponent via TKO. Silva then returned to Cage Warriors to fight longtime veteran Ruben "Warpath" Villareal for the Cage Warriors Super Heavyweight Championship and won again via TKO, and became the Cage Warriors Super Heavyweight Champion. Silva followed this up with a knockout win over Lithuanian fighter Tadas Rimkevicius before making his Japanese debut for K-1 Hero's. In his debut for the organization, he defeated longtime veteran Tom Erikson via TKO and then won his next fight by knockout.

This brought Silva's record to an undefeated 7–0 with all his wins coming by TKO/KO within the first round. Silva faced Eric Pele in his first and only fight with the BodogFIGHT promotion and was handed his first career loss with a controversial TKO.

EliteXC[edit]

On 10 February 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.[10]

Post-surgery, Silva finally faced Jonathan Wiezorek at EliteXC: Renegade in November 2007. He won the fight by a rear-naked choke in the first round. His next victory came by split decision (28–29, 29–28, and 30–27) over former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez.

On 26 July 2008, Silva won the EliteXC Heavyweight Championship, 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.[11] 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 Antônio's health and pleasing the athletic commission, we have to choose his health."[12]

Sengoku[edit]

Soon after, Silva signed on to fight at World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku no Ran 2009. 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 4 January 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 7 November 2009, Silva suffered the second loss of his career, losing a unanimous decision to Fabrício Werdum at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers. After dominating the first round, Silva fractured his left hand in the beginning of the second.[13][14][15]

Silva defeated former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski on 15 May 2010, at Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery,[16] via unanimous decision.

He was scheduled to face Valentijn Overeem on 4 Dec, but Overeem suffered an injury and withdrew from the fight.[17] He was replaced by Mike Kyle.[18] 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 TKO (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 7 January 2012, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira told "Portal do Vale Tudo" Silva had signed a UFC contract. Silva was scheduled to debut against Roy Nelson on 26 May 2012 at UFC 146,[19] but was rescheduled to face Cain Velasquez instead.[20] Velasquez defeated Silva by TKO in the first round.

Silva faced Travis Browne on 5 October 2012 at UFC on FX 5.[21] 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 2 February 2013 at UFC 156.[22] Leading up to the fight, Overeem was dismissive of Silva's skills, claiming he was better than his opponent in every aspect of MMA.[23] 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.[24]

Silva faced Cain Velasquez in a rematch for the UFC Heavyweight Championship on 25 May 2013 at UFC 160.[25] Silva was rocked with a right hand early into the fight and finished again via TKO in the first round.

Silva faced Mark Hunt on 7 December 2013 at UFC Fight Night 33 in the main event.[26] It was a back-and-forth affair that saw both men trade the advantage over five full rounds. The result was a majority draw (48–47 Hunt, 47–47, and 47–47).[27] Post-fight, Dana White said the bout won Fight of the Night and, despite the draw result, both men would receive their win bonuses.[28] Silva forfeited his win money and $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus to Hunt after failing a post-fight test for elevated testosterone (he had been undergoing UFC-approved testosterone replacement therapy). He was suspended for nine months, retroactive to the date of the fight.[29]

Silva faced Andrei Arlovski in a rematch on 13 September 2014 at UFC Fight Night 51.[30] He lost the fight via knockout in the first round. Following this fight, Silva returned to the hospital for surgery to remove a pituitary gland tumor - which causes his acromegaly - that had reemerged. The surgery was successful and he expects to return to fighting in 2015.[31]

Silva was expected to face Frank Mir on 28 February 2015 at UFC 184.[32] However, the bout with Mir was moved up a week and instead served as event headliner for UFC Fight Night 61.[33] Silva lost the fight via knockout in the first round, as Mir dropped Silva with a left hook and finished him with a barrage of ground and pound.[34]

Silva faced Soa Palelei on 1 August 2015 at UFC 190.[35] He won the fight by TKO in the second round.[36]

A rematch with Mark Hunt took place on 15 November 2015 at UFC 193.[37] Silva lost the fight via TKO in the first round.[38]

Silva next faced Stefan Struve on 8 May 2016 at UFC Fight Night 87.[39] Silva lost the bout via knockout in the first round as he was stunned by a right hook on the chin followed with a knee to the body and multiple elbows to the side of his head.[40]

Silva fought Roy Nelson on 24 September 2016 at UFC Fight Night 95.[41] He lost the fight by knockout in the second round.[42] Subsequently, he was released from the UFC.[43]

Post-UFC career[edit]

After the release from UFC, Silva fought Ivan Shtyrkov in Russia on 18 November 2016. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

He then faced Vitaly Minakov at Fight Nights Global 68 on 2 June 2017. He lost the fight via knockout in the second round.

On 28 July 2020, it was announced that Silva had signed a contract with Taura MMA. He was expected to make his promotional debut against Brett Martin at Taura MMA 11 on 30 October 2020.[44] However, the bout was cancelled on the fight week.[45]

Subsequently, Silva signed with Arena Fighting Championship and was expected to face Chris Barnett at AFC 2 on 12 December 2020, but the whole event was postponed due to multiple COVID-19 cases.[46][47]

Silva made his return to MMA against Quentin Domingos on 13 June 2021 at Megdan Fighting 9.[48] He lost the fight via TKO in the second round.[49]

Silva was scheduled to headline Gamebred FC 2 against Alex Nicholson on September 11, 2021.[50] However, his prevailing contract with Eagle Fighting Championship prevented him from competing at the event and he was replaced by Jonathan Ivey.[51] In turn, Silva was scheduled to face Davit Modzmanashvili at an EFC event on September 26, 2021.[51] However, Bigfoot Silva pulled out of the bout.

Silva was scheduled to face Tyrone Spong on January 28, 2022, at EFC 44.[52] However, he was pulled from the bout to be replaced by Sergei Kharitonov.[53]

Silva returned against Oleg Popov at MMA Series 53 on June 24, 2022. He lost the bout, getting knocked out 15 seconds into the 2nd round.[54]

On December 27, 2022, Silva announced his retirement from MMA competition,[55] intending to continue his involvement in the sport as a grappling and BJJ coach.[56] However, in April 2023 it was announced that Bigfoot would face Salim El Ouassaidi in the main event of Kingdom Fighting 1 on Saturday the 10th of June. Silva lost the bout via unanimous decision and announced his retirement after the bout.[57] However on June 18, Silva announced that he is coming out of retirement, expressing interest in a rematch against Salim El Ouassaidi.[58] Silva is booked to fight Juan Espino at La Despedida, in the Gran Canaria Arena, on Saturday the 23rd of March 2024.[59]

Kickboxing[edit]

In August 2017, Silva signed with Glory Kickboxing,[60] and made his debut against Rico Verhoeven at Glory 46 on 14 October 2017 in Guangzhou, China.[61] [62] After being dominated by arguably the No. 1 heavyweight kickboxer of the time, Silva was knocked down by a headkick in the second round. The referee stopped the fight less than a minute later officially ruling the match a TKO win for Verhoeven.

Silva was scheduled to challenge Grégory Tony[63] for the World Kickboxing Network Super Heavyweight title[64] at the final day of the WKN World Cup 2019 on 30 November 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand.[65] The fight was cancelled due to the withdrawal of Silva, who was not medically cleared after suffering a defeat by knockout in his previous bout.[66]

Bare-knuckle boxing[edit]

On 16 August 2019, it was announced that Silva had signed a contract with the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.[67] Subsequently, on 28 August 2019, it was announced that Silva would make his promotional debut headlining BKFC 8 against fellow UFC veteran Gabriel Gonzaga on 19 October 2019.[68] He lost the fight by knockout in the second round.

Personal life[edit]

In late 2020, Silva adopted twin brothers in his native Brazil.[46]

Championships and accomplishments[edit]

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record[edit]

Professional record breakdown
36 matches 19 wins 15 losses
By knockout 15 12
By submission 2 0
By decision 2 3
Draws 1
No contests 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Draw 19–15–1 (1) Juan Espino Draw La Despedida 23 March 2024 3 5:00 Las Palmas, Spain
Loss 19–15 (1) Salim El Ouassaidi Decision (unanimous) Kingdom Fighting 1 10 June 2023 3 5:00 Grenoble, France
Loss 19–14 (1) Oleg Popov KO (punch) MMA Series 53 24 June 2022 2 0:15 Moscow, Russia
Loss 19–13 (1) Quentin Domingos TKO (punches) Megdan Fighting 9: Under the Bright Sky 13 June 2021 2 0:30 Šabac, Serbia
Loss 19–12 (1) Vitaly Minakov KO (punches) Fight Nights Global 68: Pavlovich vs. Mokhnatkin 2 June 2017 2 1:37 St. Petersburg, Russia
Loss 19–11 (1) Ivan Shtyrkov Decision (unanimous) Titov Boxing Promotion: Shtyrkov vs. Silva 18 November 2016 3 5:00 Yekaterinburg, Russia
Loss 19–10 (1) Roy Nelson KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Cyborg vs. Lansberg 24 September 2016 2 4:10 Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
Loss 19–9 (1) Stefan Struve KO (elbows) UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Arlovski 8 May 2016 1 0:16 Rotterdam, Netherlands
Loss 19–8 (1) Mark Hunt TKO (punches) UFC 193 15 November 2015 1 3:41 Melbourne, Australia
Win 19–7 (1) Soa Palelei TKO (punches) UFC 190 1 August 2015 2 0:41 Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Loss 18–7 (1) Frank Mir KO (elbows) UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir 22 February 2015 1 1:40 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Loss 18–6 (1) Andrei Arlovski KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Arlovski 13 September 2014 1 2:59 Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
NC 18–5 (1) Mark Hunt NC (overturned) UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Bigfoot 7 December 2013 5 5:00 Brisbane, Australia Fight of the Night. Majority draw overturned after Silva tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone.
Loss 18–5 Cain Velasquez TKO (punches) UFC 160 25 May 2013 1 1:21 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States For the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Win 18–4 Alistair Overeem KO (punches) UFC 156 2 February 2013 3 0:25 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Knockout of the Night.
Win 17–4 Travis Browne TKO (punches) UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot 5 October 2012 1 3:27 Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Loss 16–4 Cain Velasquez TKO (punches) UFC 146 26 May 2012 1 3:36 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 16–3 Daniel Cormier KO (punches) Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov 10 September 2011 1 3:56 Cincinnati, Ohio, United States Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Semifinal.
Win 16–2 Fedor Emelianenko TKO (doctor stoppage) Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva 12 February 2011 2 5:00 East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal.
Win 15–2 Mike Kyle TKO (punches) Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II 4 December 2010 2 2:49 St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Win 14–2 Andrei Arlovski Decision (unanimous) Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery 15 May 2010 3 5:00 St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Loss 13–2 Fabrício Werdum Decision (unanimous) Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers 7 November 2009 3 5:00 Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States
Win 13–1 Jim York Submission (arm-triangle choke) Sengoku 10 23 September 2009 1 3:51 Saitama, Japan
Win 12–1 Yoshihiro Nakao TKO (knee injury) World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku no Ran 2009 4 January 2009 1 1:42 Saitama, Japan
Win 11–1 Justin Eilers TKO (knees and punches) EliteXC: Unfinished Business 26 July 2008 2 0:19 Stockton, California, United States Won the EliteXC Heavyweight Championship. Tested positive for boldenone post-fight.
Win 10–1 Ricco Rodriguez Decision (split) EliteXC: Street Certified 16 February 2008 3 5:00 Miami, Florida, United States
Win 9–1 Jonathan Wiezorek Submission (rear-naked choke) EliteXC: Renegade 10 November 2007 1 3:12 Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Win 8–1 Wesley Correira TKO (punches) EliteXC: Destiny 10 February 2007 1 3:49 Southaven, Mississippi, United States
Loss 7–1 Eric Pele TKO (punches) BodogFight: USA vs. Russia 2 December 2006 1 2:40 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Win 7–0 Georgy Kaysinov KO (punch) Hero's 7 9 October 2006 1 1:08 Yokohama, Japan
Win 6–0 Tom Erikson TKO (punches) Hero's 5 3 May 2006 1 2:49 Tokyo, Japan
Win 5–0 Tadas Rimkevicius TKO (punches) CWFC: Strike Force 5 25 March 2006 1 3:22 Coventry, England Defended the Cage Warriors Super Heavyweight Championship.
Win 4–0 Ruben Villareal TKO (punches) CWFC: Strike Force 4 26 November 2005 1 3:07 Coventry, England Won the Cage Warriors Super Heavyweight Championship.
Win 3–0 Rafael Carino TKO (corner stoppage) Cage Rage 12 2 July 2005 1 2:55 London, England Won the Cage Rage World Heavyweight Championship.
Win 2–0 Marcus Tchinda TKO (submission to punches) CWFC: Strike Force 21 May 2005 1 3:03 Coventry, England
Win 1–0 Tengiz Tedoradze TKO (punches) UKMMAC 10: Slugfest 6 March 2005 1 0:48 Colchester, England

Pay-per-view bouts[edit]

No. Event Fight Date Venue City PPV Buys
1. UFC 160 Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2 May 25, 2013 MGM Grand Garden Arena Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 380,000[70]

Kickboxing record[edit]

Kickboxing record
0 Wins, 2 Losses
Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time Record
2022-09-10 Loss Azerbaijan Zabit Samedov Mix Fight Championship Baku, Azerbaijan TKO (Referee stoppage) 1 2:18 0–2
2017-10-14 Loss Netherlands Rico Verhoeven Glory 46: China Guangzhou, China TKO (Referee stoppage) 2 0:43 0–1

Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

Professional boxing record[edit]

1 fight 0 wins 1 loss
By knockout 0 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
1 Loss 0–1 Viacheslav Datsik TKO 2 (4), 0:44 July 8, 2022 Moscow, Russia

Bare knuckle record[edit]

Professional record breakdown
1 match 0 wins 1 loss
By knockout 0 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 0–1 Gabriel Gonzaga KO (punches) Bare Knuckle FC 8 19 October 2019 2 1:50 Tampa, Florida, United States

See also[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ UFC 160: Bigfoot Silva: "I Will Get The Victory" - YouTube
  2. ^ "Fight Card - UFC Fight Night Bigfoot vs. Mir". UFC.com. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  3. ^ a b Jordan Newmark (2 May 2016). "'Bigfoot' going back to his roots vs Struve". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
  4. ^ Guilherme Cruz. "'Bigfoot' leaves Blackzilians, returns to ATT". mixedmartialarts.com.
  5. ^ Tim Burke (27 July 2011). "Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva Joins Team Nogueira". bloodyelbow.com.
  6. ^ "Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva - Official UFC fighter Profile". UFC.com. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  7. ^ Antonio Silva – Biography – IMDb
  8. ^ Antonio Silva: "I want to tell you my side of the story" | MMA Shorts | MMA Gloves | MMA Clothing | MMA Equipment Archived 23 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine. MMAUniverse.com (8 August 2006). Retrieved on 14 February 2011.
  9. ^ Big Foot fight camp for the fight against Fedor. YouTube. Retrieved on 14 February 2011.
  10. ^ "Antonio Silva Exclusive Interview". mmasportsmag.com. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  11. ^ "Silva, Dewees Test Positive". Sherdog.com. 2008. Archived from the original on 22 August 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  12. ^ MMA Steroid Busts: The Definitive Timeline | CagepotatoCagepotato. Cagepotato.com. Retrieved on 14 February 2011.
  13. ^ Sherdog.com. "Fedor Bloodied But Victorious". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  14. ^ Morgan, John. (25 March 2010) Silva wants rematch with Werdum after dispatching of Arlovski at Strikeforce St. Louis. MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved on 14 February 2011.
  15. ^ "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. 25 March 2010. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  16. ^ "Overeem vs. Rogers, Arlovski vs. "Bigfoot" official for 15 May Strikeforce event in St. Louis". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on 22 March 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  17. ^ "Valentijn Overeem Injured, Strikeforce Debut Nixed". MMAWeekly.com. 27 November 2010.
  18. ^ "Mike Kyle Tapped to Face Antonio Silva for Strikeforce". MMAWeekly.com. 29 November 2010.
  19. ^ "Antonio Silva vs. Roy Nelson slated for UFC 146 in Las Vegas". mmajunkie.com. 7 March 2012. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  20. ^ "UFC 146: Cain Velasquez vs Antonio Silva booked for 26 May in Las Vegas". mmamania.com. 22 April 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  21. ^ "Heavyweights Travis Browne, Antonio Silva to headline UFC on FX 5 in Minneapolis". mmajunkie.com. 27 July 2012.
  22. ^ "Overeem eyes return at UFC 156 to face 'Bigfoot' Silva on Super Bowl weekend". lvrj.com. 13 November 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  23. ^ "Alistair Overeem says Bigfoot Silva will be just another statistic after UFC 156 knockout". MMAmania.com. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  24. ^ "UFC 156 Bonuses: Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar, 'Bigfoot' Silva, Bobby Green banks $50,000 apiece". sherdog.com. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  25. ^ Matt Erickson (12 February 2013). "Velasquez-Silva 2, Dos Santos-Overeem booked for UFC 160 in May". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  26. ^ Staff (4 September 2013). "Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva targeted for UFC's December return to Australia". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  27. ^ Staff (7 December 2013). "Antonio Silva drew with Mark Hunt". mmadecisions.com. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  28. ^ Staff (7 December 2013). "UFC Fight Night 33 bonuses: Rua, Silva and Hunt pick up $50,000 awards". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  29. ^ "Antonio Silva fails post-fight drug test". Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  30. ^ Tristan Critchfield (3 July 2014). "'Bigfoot' Silva, Andrei Arlovski to Headline UFC Fight Night in Brazil". sherdog.com. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  31. ^ Jesse Holland. "Tumor returns, forces Bigfoot Silva into surgery in Brazil". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  32. ^ Staff (12 November 2014). "Frank Mir vs. Antonio Silva set for UFC 184 in Los Angeles". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  33. ^ Ariel Helwani (7 January 2015). "Frank Mir vs. Antonio Silva moved to 22 Feb. following Glover Teixeira knee injury". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  34. ^ Brett Okamoto (23 February 2015). "Frank Mir blitzes Antonio Silva". espn.go.com. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  35. ^ Liam Croy (25 April 2015). "Soa 'the Hulk' in battle of the giants". au.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  36. ^ Ben Fowlkes (1 August 2015). "UFC 190 results: 'Bigfoot' Silva blasts past Soa Palelei with second-round TKO". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  37. ^ Mark Bergman (19 August 2015). "'Bigfoot' Silva and Mark Hunt will square off again at UFC 193". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  38. ^ Brookhouse, Brent (15 November 2015). "UFC 193 results: Mark Hunt finishes Antonio Silva in first in rematch of classic war". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  39. ^ Guilherme Cruz (19 February 2016). "'Bigfoot' Silva vs. Stefan Struve booked for UFC event in Netherlands". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  40. ^ Ben Fowlkes (8 May 2016). "UFC Fight Night 87 results: Stefan Struve destroys Antonio Silva in 16 seconds". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  41. ^ Dann Stupp (3 August 2016). "Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva added to UFC Fight Night 95 in Brazil". mmajunkie. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  42. ^ Steven Marrocco (25 September 2016). "UFC Fight Night 95 results: Roy Nelson blasts 'Bigfoot' for second-round KO, then blasts ref McCarthy". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  43. ^ Marc Raimondi (21 October 2016). "UFC releases Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  44. ^ Danny Segura (28 July 2020). "Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva returns to fight Brett Martin after three-year MMA absence". mmajunkie.com.
  45. ^ Guilherme Cruz (29 October 2020). "'Bigfoot' Silva vs. Brett Martin, two other fights off of Friday's Taura MMA 11". mmafighting.com.
  46. ^ a b Marcelo Alonso (7 November 2020). "After Split With Taura MMA, Antonio Silva Signs to Fight Chris Barnett on 12 Dec. in France". sherdog.com.
  47. ^ Damon Martin (8 December 2020). "Artem Lobov's return to MMA delayed after Arena Fight 2 canceled due to numerous positive COVID-19 tests". mmafighting.com.
  48. ^ "Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva Returns to MMA Action After 4 Long Years". EssentiallySports. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  49. ^ MMA Fighting Newswire (14 June 2021). "Video: Antonio Silva protests TKO stoppage loss in MMA return". mmafighting.com.
  50. ^ "Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva vs. Alex Nicholson headlines Gamebred FC 2 on Sept. 11". mmafighting.com. 18 August 2021.
  51. ^ a b Guilherme Cruz (1 September 2021). "'Bigfoot' Silva out of Gamebred FC main event, booked to face Olympian at EFC". mmafighting.com.
  52. ^ "Spong-Silva headlines Eagle FC's debut in U.S." ESPN.com. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  53. ^ "Kharitonov replaces Silva in Eagle FC main event". ESPN.com. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  54. ^ Lee, Alexander K. (25 June 2022). "Video: Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva suffers ugly knockout loss, runs winless streak to 7". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  55. ^ Josh Evanoff (27 December 2022). "Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Bigfoot Silva announces retirement from MMA". | BJPenn.com. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  56. ^ Kian Rogers (30 December 2022). "Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva Retires From MMA To Teach And Compete In BJJ". Jits Magazine. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  57. ^ "MMA Veteran Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva Suffers 11th Straight Defeat, Calls It Quits". MiddleEasy. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  58. ^ Cruz, Guilherme (18 June 2023). "Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva again un-retires, asks to rematch last opponent 'because I know I didn't lose'". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  59. ^ "Antonio".
  60. ^ "GLORY Announces Landmark Event in Mainland China on 14 Oct". Glorykickboxing.com. 18 August 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  61. ^ Cruz, Guilherme (18 August 2017). "Rico Verhoeven, 'Bigfoot' Silva collide in non-title bout at Glory 46". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  62. ^ "'Bigfoot' Silva moves to kickboxing, meets champ Rico Verhoeven at GLORY 46". MMA Junkie. 18 August 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  63. ^ "Kickboxing: Greg Tony s'attaque à " Bigfoot ", la star de l'UFC". www.estrepublicain.fr (in French). Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  64. ^ "Mark Hunt's epic battle remembered as Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva announced to fight in Auckland". Stuff. 20 June 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  65. ^ Iskenderov, Parviz (6 May 2019). "Date announced for 'Bigfoot' Silva vs. Greg Tony". FIGHTMAG. Fightmag. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  66. ^ "Ex-UFC star forced to withdraw from New Zealand event". 14 March 2024.
  67. ^ Jesse Holland (16 August 2019). "Bigfoot Silva latest UFC veteran to become bare-knuckle boxer". mmamania.com.
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External links[edit]

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