Despite loss, Mike Kyle still in thick of Strikeforce light-heavyweight title picture

ST. LOUIS – Mike Kyle had victory within grasp and nearly toppled a heavyweight fighter who had a good 50-pound size advantage on him.

But after injuring his hand during a first-round beatdown of his opponent, Kyle couldn’t seal the deal at Saturday’…

ST. LOUIS – Mike Kyle had victory within grasp and nearly toppled a heavyweight fighter who had a good 50-pound size advantage on him.

But after injuring his hand during a first-round beatdown of his opponent, Kyle couldn’t seal the deal at Saturday’s “Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II” event in St. Louis and suffered a second-round TKO loss to Antonio Silva.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, though, said the loss does little to hurt Kyle’s contender status in the light-heavyweight division.