Valentijn Overeem vs. Antonio Silva targeted for Dec. 4; "Bigfoot" yet to receive offer

Despite reports to the contrary, Brazilian heavyweight Antonio Silva (14-2 MMA, 1-1 SF) has not yet been formally offered a fight with Golden Glory's Valentijn Overeem (28-25 MMA, 0-0 SF).

But he's got an answer prepared if the call does come: Yes.

Silva's manager Alex Davis today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Strikeforce has yet to present a potential fight with Overeem for a Dec. 4 event in Missouri, but if the offer comes, his client is game.

"Antonio isn't in the business of picking opponents," Davis said. "He'll fight anybody, anywhere, anytime. Just send the contract, and he's in."

Overeem's brother, Alistair Overeem, posted news of the potential matchup on his official Twitter account on Friday. But Overeem's words made it seem the contest was official.

"My brother Valentijn is fighting Antonio Silva on Dec. 4 for his Strikeforce debut," Alistair stated. "Great news."

But Davis insists Silva has yet to receive word of Strikeforce's plans for the yet-to-be-announced "Henderson vs. Babalu" event.

Silva had been linked to a potential fight with Fedor Emelianenko, but "The Last Emperor" is now on the sidelines until at least January. As such, Davis said Silva would be more than happy to face Overeem.

"If Strikeforce wants us to face Valentijn, then that's who we'll fight," Davis said. "Antonio is anxious to get back in action, and he'll fight regardless of who is on the other side of the cage."

Silva's most recent appearance was a May decision win over Andrei Arlovski. The former EliteXC champion has won seven of his past eight contests overall.

Meanwhile, Overeem is a four-time PRIDE veteran who has been fighting professionally since 1996. "The Python" is currently riding a two-fight win streak in which he's earned two knockout wins in just 47 seconds of total fight time.

For more on "Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu," stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

(Pictured: Antonio Silva)

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Vitor Belfort Talks Anderson Silva, Says He Knows "His Whole Game"

By Tim Ngo | September 21, 2010

Vitor Belfort claims to know UFC middleweight king of Anderson Silva better than he knows himself. That's why he's so anxious to get a shot at the champ.

"I know his whole game," Belfort recent told Rede TV. "I know his jiu jitsu game. I know his stand-up game. I know he likes spinning kicks and loves to use elbows, but if I put my hands on a man, he will fall down."

After putting down former middleweight champ Rich Franklin in his Octagon return at UFC 103, Belfort and "The Spider" were set to tango for the title at UFC 112 but a shoulder injury forced the challenger to withdraw. Silva has successfully defended his belt twice since their meeting fell through, but Belfort knows the outcomes would have been different had he been the one inside the cage.

"If I hit him like Demian [Maia] and [Chael] Sonnen did, it's going to be different because I have much more firepower," he matter-of-factly stated. "Still, a fight is a fight, and we know we're two well-conditioned champions. The most important thing is to be well-trained and focused on each second of that fight.

"I know Anderson knows that if my hands hit him, he will not be able to stand on his feet. No matter who's on the other side of the cage, whether it's Anderson or someone else, I'm going forward. If you look at my last fights, you're going to see how focused I am.I have no doubt about what I want or what I'm able to do, so I'm very motivated."

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Vitor Belfort To Receive Next Title Shot Against Anderson Silva, Thanks Dana White

By Raj Giri | September 22, 2010 | Comments

As noted earlier, Vitor Belfort was pulled from his scheduled main event against Yushin Okami at UFC 122 in Germany in November. We had initially reported that Belfort was removed from the bout due to an injury, however it has surfaced that Belfort will likely get the next middleweight title shot against reigning king Anderson Silva.

"Vitor is not injured," UFC President Dana White wrote on his Twitter earlier today. "He is going to fight anderson for the title and the winner of marquart and okami are next."

Belfort took to his Twitter shortly thereafter and thanked the UFC head, writing, "We are up for the tittle shot! Thanks Dana!"

Belfort will be taking the place of Chael Sonnen, who was slated to get a rematch with Anderson Silva in early February. Sonnen was suspended earlier this week after testing positive for steroids following his career-defining performance against UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva this past August at UFC 117.

Sonnen has thirty days to file an appeal, with the earliest his appeal could be heard being this December 2nd. Sonnen's initial test was reexamined at the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory after showing up positive for PEDs. Should Sonnen's appeal be turned down, he will face a $2,500 fine and a mandated year-long suspension.

Do you think Belfort should get the title shot? Or should the UFC wait for the results of Sonnen's appeal? Let us know in the 'Comments' section below.

Thanks to Mark Wayne for contributing to this article.

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Champ Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort targeted for 2011, possibly UFC 125 (Updated)

As it turns out, Vitor Belfort (19-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) isn't injured. And, in fact, he's expected to meet UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva (27-4 MMA, 12-0 UFC) early next year, possibly in the headliner of a UFC 125 event on Jan. 1 in Las Vegas.

Sources close to the event, including Belfort's manager, today confirmed the tentative plans with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Belfort had been scheduled to fight Yushin Okami in the headliner of November's UFC 122 event before a recent card change.

Instead, Okami now fights recent UFC Fight Night 22 winner Nate Marquardt. Although initially believed to be injured, Belfort is, in fact, healthy, according to a recent Twitter post from UFC president Dana White. Belfort now will bypass the No. 1 contender's bout at UFC 122 for an immediate title shot with Silva.

UFC 125 takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and the night's main card airs on pay-per-view. The event currently needs a headliner, and Silva vs. Belfort certainly fits the bill.

"We shall immediately sign the contract for the bout once the date is confirmed," Fabiano Farah, Belfort's manager, today stated in an email to MMAjunkie.com.

Belfort, of course, takes a slot initially designated for Chael Sonnen (25-11-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC), who dominated Silva for more than four rounds at UFC 117 before succumbing to a triangle choke in the final two minutes of the fight. Sonnen had been promised an immediate rematch, but he failed his UFC 117 drug test, which he plans to appeal. The process could go well into 2011 before it's resolved.

Belfort had been promised an earlier promised title shot. However, when he was sidelined by a shoulder injury, Demian Maia and then Sonnen got shots at Silva's belt. Nevertheless, Belfort is riding a five-fight win streak, and in his most recent bout at UFC 103, he returned to the UFC for the first time in four years and scored a first-round knockout of Rich Franklin in a 195-pound catchweight bout.

Silva, meanwhile, moved to 12-0 in the organization and made his record seventh straight UFC title defense with the August win over Sonnen. He's now won 13 straight fights and 15 of his past 16 while dominating the elite of the middleweight division. All but two of the wins came via stoppage.

For more on UFC 125, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Vitor Belfort)

(Updated on 9/22/10 at 3:10 p.m. ET with confirmation and a quote from Belfort's manager.)

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