Antonio Silva is one of the most physically imposing specimens that the UFC heavyweight division has to offer. What you do with that strength is ultimately measured in wins and losses and “Bigfoot” has racked up plenty of “Ls” as of late.
The No. 8-ranked Silva draws the No. 13-ranked Frank Mir at UFC Fight Night 61 in Porto Alegre, Brazil on February 22. Silva is 0-2-(1) in his last three bouts and has been finished twice against heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski.
In between those Octagon appearances, the former heavyweight title challenger tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone, effectively turning a previous majority draw with Mark Hunt into a no-contest. The pair’s bloody battle in Brisbane, Australia surely added to the legacy of Silva, who is also known for bludgeoning former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko silly.
An early 2014 ban by the UFC on testosterone-replacement therapy put the then-34-year-old in a bind. TRT, though, was what helped Silva lead a healthy life and what also forced him into a September surgery to remove a tumor on his pituitary gland.
“The surgery went very well and it really helped me,” Silva told Bleacher Report’s Duane Finley with the assistance of his translator, Alexis Davis. “I’m a lot lighter than I usually am. I’m feeling much better. I have to continue adapting to get better results and continue my career.”
Bigfoot began fighting professionally in mixed martial arts 10 years ago in the famed English fight promotion, Cage Warriors. It was there where he captured two belts, both the heavyweight and super heavyweight titles, before debuting stateside in 2007.
Silva would later catapult himself into the sport’s most prestigious promotion off the strength of his successful Elite XC and Strikeforce campaigns. Right away, Silva was thrown right into the heap atop the UFC’s 265-pound ladder against then top contender Velasquez in May 2012.
He would be dismissed in the first frame by the heavy-handed Mexican at UFC 146.
Whereas Silva came into the Octagon with much promise—11 career knockouts and three submissions (one due to strikes) prior to his debut—the 6’7” giant can now forget about lofty expectations. He’s just fighting for job security.
In fact, he won’t be the only one trying to dodge the proverbial UFC ax come Sunday in Brazil. The pressure will be on both Silva and Mir south of the equator as each looks to stop the bleeding.
The 35-year-old Mir hasn’t seen his hand raised in over three years. Since his UFC 140 win over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in December 2011, he’s dropped four straight in the cage, falling out of the Top 10 in the heavyweight rankings.
Mir’s once illustrious MMA career was reduced to one-liners on Twitter during fight week.
The former two-time heavyweight champion remains one of the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialists in his division and is an underrated striker.
Mir became the first fighter to knock out and submit the former Pride heavyweight champion Nogueira. He also finished another Pride legend, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, with strikes in the UFC.
Even though his back is against the wall, the Nevada native remains calm, cool and confident ahead of what could be his Octagon swan song.
“Anybody with decent skill, like he has – he’s a black belt in jiu-jitsu – could submit me,” claimed Mir, per The Fight Network (h/t Bloody Elbow). “I’m very much of a scientist. If I was to put money on it, I wouldn’t bet a dollar that he could submit me. Because statistically looking, well, who has he submitted?”
Silva has submitted two foes via his grappling prowess, one being former Sengoku competitor Jim York and the other Elite XC veteran Jonathan Wiezorek. Both have mat experience and boast a total of 13 submission victories between them.
It would be fair to conclude that Mir has the advantage on the ground, especially because he employs his jiu-jitsu quite more often than the Brazilian Silva. Nine men have tapped when caught in his clutches, including notable BJJ black belts Nogueira and Roberto Traven, who is a sixth-degree black belt.
But to say that Silva can’t defeat Mir at his own game is entirely the wrong conversation to have. The pair’s tussle may not last long enough for that to occur.
While he dons the same belt as Mir, we all know where Silva’s bread is buttered. He cashes most of his UFC checks due to the massive haymakers he throws.
It was only two years ago that Silva reeled off two impressive knockouts of top-notch strikers Travis Browne and Alistair Overeem. The latter, a come-from-behind victory against a former K-1 kickboxing champion in Overeem, was eye-opening.
Silva absorbed a barrage of punches and kicks from the Dutchman before capitalizing on an overzealous mistake made by “The Reem.” The victory not only showcased Silva’s will to win but also his strong chin; a definitive trait lacking on the part of Mir.
“The former UFC champion has suffered many knockout losses in his career. Mir’s FightMetric stat for striking defense is a mere 37 percent, and he absorbs just over 4 strikes per minute. That is not a recipe for success,” Bleacher Report’s Nathan McCarter noted.
Mir has crumbled against the power of fighters like Shane Carwin, Junior dos Santos and Josh Barnett. He’s also been the far more mistake-prone fighter of the two as of late.
What this fight comes down to is which fighter will have the easier time imposing their game plan. All signs point towards Silva.
While his takedown defense isn’t the greatest—the Brazilian defends them at a 65 percent clip, per FightMetric—Silva isn’t exactly facing a high-caliber wrestler. Mir doesn’t shoot for takedowns, preferring instead to pursue trips or underhooks against the fence.
As long as Silva stays relatively mobile, and keeps a wide stance, he should remain upright for the duration of the fight.
While Mir’s striking has evolved gradually throughout his career, it’s not nearly of the same quality that Silva has dealt with. Not to mention he’s a southpaw. Mir will need to be aware of Silva’s right hand at all times.
However, speed kills and this will be the first time, in a long time, where the American has the advantage.
“He [Mir] will be able to exploit many holes in Silva’s game this weekend because of that. He will be able to be more active on his feet against Silva and have the potential to hurt him,” predicts McCarter.
The fight could very well play out this way, should Mir begin to tee off early with the poise, pressure and trademark right uppercut he has shown in the past. This is where Silva’s intangibles, I believe, will come into play.
If Bigfoot can fend off being finished by equally as dangerous strikers and submission artists such as Overeem and Fabricio Werdum, I think he can handle Mir.
All statistics courtesy of Sherdog and FightMetric.
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