Cameroon timber Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva might not be done competing after all.
The Brazilian had a memorable run in the promotion from 2012 to 2016. Entering the UFC off a successful run in Strikeforce that saw him defeat names such as Fedor Emelianenko, expectations were high. For the most part, Silva lived up to those expectations.
During his four-year stint with the UFC, the former title challenger defeated names such as Alistair Overeem and Travis Browne. Following his win over the ‘Demolition Man’, he earned a title shot against Cain Velasquez at UFC 160. Sadly, he came up short by first-round stoppage, and seemingly never recovered.
Following that title shot, Bigfoot Silva went 1-9-1 inside the cage. Also during that stretch, the Brazilian was knocked out in kickboxing, bare-knuckle, and boxing matches. Over the last few years, there have been calls by many for the former heavyweight contender to retire.
In December, those calls were finally heard, as he announced his retirement. While Silva stated he was done fighting in the cage, he planned to keep competing, albeit, in jiu-jitsu. He’s currently stated to face Bellator veteran Haim Gozali in a grappling match in March at Brave CF.
While Bigfoot Silva stated that he was retiring from MMA, fans hoped that would extend to kickboxing, boxing, and bare-knuckle combat. To his credit, the Brazilian hasn’t competed in those sports since his announcement and isn’t scheduled to at the moment.
Instead, he might be looking to join the Power Slap League instead. The controversial league was started by Dana White last year and currently airs on TBS. Despite loads of backlash and poor ratings, it seems that Silva might be a fan.
On Instagram, the former UFC heavyweight contender posed, and stated that no human being could withstand his slap. Given all the controversy with White’s new product, Silva’s post seems to be a nod toward Power Slap.
As of now, there’s no indication the startup league has any interest in signing the Brazilian. However, the team behind the new show is seemingly interested in bringing in UFC veterans. Earlier this week, Eric Spicely, who defeated names such as Thiago Santos during his octagon run, was offered $2,000 to compete on the show.
What do you make of this news? Do you think Bigfoot Silva should stay retired? Sound off in the comment section below PENN Nation!