Goodbye Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ... hello RIZIN FF?
Following his third straight defeat, a second-round knockout loss to Roy Nelson at UFC Fight Night 95, heavyweight power puncher Antonio Silva will part ways with the world’s preeminent mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion.
The Brazilian and UFC mutually agreed to pass on a new deal, a rep told MMAjunkie.com.
Silva (19-10-1) fell on hard times as of late, dropping five of his last six. More concerning is the fact that “Bigfoot” has been knocked out in all five losses during that span and has now been stopped in nine of his 10 defeats. Not that it’s okay at any age, but the former EliteXC heavyweight champion is now 37.
Hopefully a change of scenery (or level of competition) will do him some good.
In addition to RIZIN FF, Silva can pursue opportunities in both Bellator MMA and ONE Championship, though a potential rematch against Fedor Emelianenko might be the deciding factor if such a fight should come to fruition.
Stay tuned.