Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
This is not a good idea whatsoever.
Bare Knuckle FC has added another former UFC fighter to its roster.
The bare-knuckle boxing promotion announced on Thursday that they have signed ex-UFC heavyweight title challenger Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva to a contract. Details on his debut will be announced soon.
“We are happy to announce the signing of ‘Bigfoot’ Silva to our roster,” said BKFC President David Feldman in a press release. “He has fought and beat some of the best in the world. We have some intriguing matchups that we are talking about with him now. I really expect great fighters from Antonio.”
Silva (19-12, 1 NC) hasn’t won a fight in four years, when he KO’d the now retired Soa Palelei at UFC 190. The last time he was in any sort of combat sports bout was a TKO loss to GLORY heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven in a horrendous mismatch. Bigfoot’s manager Alex Davis even admitted that Silva took the fight because “he needs money.”
The 39-year-old was knocked out seven times from 2014-2017, a timeframe that leaves out his violent KO to Daniel Cormier, as well as both wipeouts against Cain Velasquez. He has been knocked out or TKO’d 10 times out of 12 MMA losses, and of course there’s the aforementioned Verhoeven farce. It also leaves out his all-time classic vs. Mark Hunt, which ended in a draw after one of the craziest brawls in MMA heavyweight history.
At his peak, Silva beat the likes of Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko. He’s not remotely at that level anymore, and his return to TRT against Vitaly Minakov obviously didn’t work, because he got knocked out in less than seven minutes.
You must have one hell of an iron stomach if you feel remotely comfortable watching Antonio Silva receive more head trauma in 2019.