Moments after Alistair Overeem’s manager said that The Reem was looking to get back to action immediately after the end of his suspension, whether that meant a title shot or not, Brazilian Antonio ‘Big Foot’ Silva called him out.
As MMA Junkie reports, Silva said:
“If Overeem really doesn’t want to have to wait for a fight after his suspension is up, I am here ready to welcome him. I respect him as an athlete. After all, he was K-1, DREAM and Strikeforce champion. But I am not worried about titles or belts right now… Overeem is big and strong, but I know I can beat him. Even if [he] was created in the lab, I can beat him.”
That last comment could be taken as a thinly veiled reference to Overeem’s drug use.
In May, the Dutch heavyweight was suspended for six months for failing a steroid test in the run-up to his fight against Junior Dos Santos for the heavyweight title.
The fighter, who dramatically went up from light heavyweight to heavyweight in a short period of time, has long been dogged with rumors of steroid use—allegations that he has flatly denied.
However, his positive test earlier this year confirmed what many fighters had suspected for years.
Silva defeated the much-hyped Travis Browne earlier this month after suffering two losses at the hands of AKA’s finest, Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez.
Some think that is enough to rank him as a top-10 heavyweight, but the Brazilian wants more.
Overeem, despite his suspension and failed test, is ranked No. 3 in B/R’s October ranking and is being spoken of as an immediate title contender.
That will largely depend on what happens in December at UFC 155, when the incumbent champion Dos Santos will go up against Velasquez for the second time.
As Overeem’s manager made it clear earlier in the week, The Reem is happy to take the winner of that fight, but would not sit out for months if the champion is injured during the contest.
That is something that has clearly caught the attention of Silva, who is itching for the big time. In fact, he has already started the trash talking, which these days seems to guarantee a title shot.
Silva had this to say, again via MMA Junkie:
“To me, Overeem is among the best fighters in the world, and I want to always fight the best,” Of course, where I come from—Paraiba, in Brazil—our supplement of choice is molasses, and our strength is our attitude and we will fight whoever, whenever. Let’s see if Overeem can say the same.”
UFC 155 will take place on December 29 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Overeem will not be allowed to reapply for a fighter’s licence until after December 27.
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