Alistair Overeem – Photo by Getty Images
Former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair ‘The Reem’ Overeem (36-11, 1NC) is expected to return to the Octagon this February on Super Bowl weekend to face Brazilian Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva (17-4).
News of the matchup was confirmed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship late Tuesday night on the promotions website (UFC.com).
Top-ten ranked heavyweight contenders will collide as Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Alistair “The Reem” Overeem have verbally agreed to fight at UFC 156.
The bout, expected to take place Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas, has been scheduled pending licensing approval of Overeem by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. That decision will be finalized in early 2013.
Overeem has been sitting out a nine month suspension handed down this past April by the Nevada State Athletic Commission following a failed surprise drug test. ‘The Reem’ tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone to a ratio of 14-too-1, much higher than the allowable 6-to-1 ratio. The Dutch striker was pulled from a scheduled UFC 146 title bout with Junior dos Santos and replaced by Frank Mir.
UFC 156 is expected to take place on February 2, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will feature a featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo and former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar.
Overeem is 11-0 (1NC) over his past twelve bouts with a career ending TKO finish over Brock Lesnar last December at UFC 141. The bout marked ‘The Reem’s’ Octagon debut. Previous to that, Overeem won a decision against Fabricio Werdum in the opening quarterfinals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. Overeem and Strikeforce failed to come to an agreement on the date of the next semi-final bout and was replaced by tournament winner Daniel Cormier.
Silva ended a two fight losing skid, earning his first Octagon victory last month by finishing opponent Travis Browne via first round TKO. The two headlined the UFC on FX 5 event in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ‘Bigfoot’s’ debut bout ended poorly, losing to former UFC champ Cain Velasquez via first round TKO. The other loss occurred in the Grand Prix semifinals against Daniel Cormier, and saw Silva knocked out in the first round.