Silva will be looking to rebound from a loss to Daniel Cormier, wa teammate of Velasquez’s at American Kickboxing Academy, when he finally steps foot in the infamous eight-sided cage. The loss snapped a three-fight winning streak for the former EliteXC heavyweight title-holder including victories over Andrei Arlovski, Mike Kyle, and Fedor Emelianenko.

News of the contest being off was first reported by MMAJunkie.com.

Velasquez will also try and get the taste of defeat out of is mouth when he returns after losing his heavyweight strap in a little over a minutes to Junior dos Santos this past November.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/STRIKEFORCE

Nogueira reported the bout in a weekly column he writes for a newspaper in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Velasquez dropped the UFC heavyweight crown to Junior dos Santos this past November via first round knockout, the first defeat of the Arizona State wrestling stand-out’s MMA career. Velasquez was fighting for the first time in several months after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Silva also just returned to training after undergoing shoulder surgery himself. The 16-3 “Bigfoot” last fought against Daniel Cormier, falling in the semifinals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, but had won three straight prior to the stumble including victories over Andrei Arlovski and Fedor Emelianenko.

Currently the only April event on the UFC’s schedule is set for Stockholm, Swden on 4/14 though it’s very likely more will be added as the month gets closer.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC

Tournament finalist Daniel Cormier confirmed fears yesterday when he announced through Twitter than he had indeed broken his hand as suspected. Though no timetable was mentioned in terms of his availability, the undefeated former Olympian did say it would keep him “on the shelf for awhile” but that he was “still looking forward to finishing the (Strikeforce World Grand Prix)”.

With the crowning clash against Josh Barnett rumored for early 2012 he may get his wish though only if his health progresses as planned.

Also, according to the Ohio Athletic Commission, Antonio Silva will be suspended for sixty days along with Roger Gracie and Yoel Romero Palacio after the trio suffered knockout losses at last weekend’s show. They were joined on the governing body’s official list by Evangelista Santos and Amanda Nunes who will miss at least thirty days due to their respective TKO defeats.

The Strikeforce event’s proverbial ER was first populated by former light heavyweight champ Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante who revealed on Sunday he’d broken his arm in the opening round of his win over Palacio.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Joining Emelianenko and Silva on the card will be another first-round fight between former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski and imposing PRIDE veteran Sergei Kharitonov.

The second set of competitors will likely square off on March 5 in Columbus, Ohio, as Alistair Overeem was announced as fighting Fabricio Werdum whose originally rumored opponent for the event, Brett Rogers, will take on Josh Barnett.

“We are thrilled to have come to a long-term agreement with Fedor and M-1 Global,” said Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker. “To have the greatest MMA fighter of all-time put his legacy on the line in a single-elimination tournament will truly captivate MMA fans worldwide. Strikeforce is home to the best heavyweight division in the world; the athlete who runs the gauntlet in a tournament such as this would have to be considered the best heavyweight fighter in the world.”

“I have been training very hard since my last fight and can’t wait to get back in the cage,” added the 31-2 Emelianenko. “Strikeforce has assembled a roster filled with the best heavyweights in the world and, together with M-1 Global, we have the opportunity to fight the best in a great tournament format.”

News of the possible match-up was reported by MMAWeekly where it was also explained Emelianenko’s management group may have finally agreed to an extension with Strikeforce.

However, Five Ounces of Pain has since spoken with a representative from M-1 who explained the two groups are actively discussing an extension but have not finalized terms on any deal. Additionally, nothing official has been agreed to as far as a date/opponent for Fedor’s next fight. Five Ounces also confirmed the same information with Strikeforce, meaning both sides have denied the deal being in place at this point in time.

Emelianenko was last seen in action this past June against Fabricio Werdum where he was submitted a little more than a minute into the opening frame of their headlining match-up. Prior to the jaw-dropping defeat he had been considered virtually unbeatable in the ring, rallying off more than twenty-five straight wins after a cut-based blemish a decade prior. Among his thirty-one victories in the ring are former UFC champions Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski, as well as a number of MMA’s heavyweight elite in their primes during his historic run in PRIDE including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.

In his rumored pairing with Silva he faces a 6’4” striker with ten TKOs who is equally well-versed on the ground. Occasionally labeled as “Bigfoot”, the ominous Brazilian has found success eight of the last nine times he’s stepped into the ring with the only exception being a decision loss to Werdum a little more than a year ago.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Overeem, the older brother of Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, withdrew Saturday after suffering an elbow injury.

The 6-foot-3, 30-year-old Kyle, of San Jose, California, has gone 5-0 with one No Contest since losing to Fabricio Werdum, on August 15, 2009. In his last start, Kyle scored a first-round TKO (punches) over Stephen Oliver on November 5.

Since April 2008, Kyle is 8-1 with one NC. One of the talented nine-year pro’s most significant triumphs came on a second-round TKO (punches) over current Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante in June 2009.

In his last appearance for Strikeforce, Kyle submitted Ron “Abongo” Humphrey during a Strikeforce Challengers event last July 23.

The 6-foot-4, 31-year-old Silva has won seven of his last eight, including a decisive, lopsided decision over former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski in his most recent outing last May 15.

Silva’s lone loss since December 2006 came when he was narrowly outpointed in a tight fight by fellow Brazilian, Werdum, on November 7, 2009.

His opponent at the show will be none other than Overeem….Valentijn Overeem, that is. News of the match-up was announced via fellow Strikeforce heavyweight Alistair Overeem, Valentijn’s younger brother, on his Twitter page.

The elder Overeem will be making his debut for the promotion at the event. He has won his last two fights, both by way of knockout, but is 28-25 from an overall perspective. However, the 34-year old Dutchman has finished an outstanding number of the opponents he’s beaten and, as a matter of fact, only notched a single victory by way of decision in a career dating back to 1996.

American Top Team’s Silva is 14-2 and won seven of his last eight fights. He is also known for ending his adversaries’ evenings early with twelve of the fourteen falling victim to either a submission or TKO rather than a scorecard.

In addition to Silva fighting Overeem, the St. Lous event is expected to be headlined by a bout between light heavyweight veterans Dan Henderson and Renato “Babalu” Sobral, as well as feature the return of former Heisman Trophy Winner Herschel Walker to the Strikeforce cage.

At first Werdum revealed to Tatame.com that the fight had been agreed to, but then went on to express doubt in the match-up coming to fruition, explaining, “My manager called me asking if I agree to fight him, and I said yes and that I was ready, but I think this fight won’t happen anymore. He’ll probably fight for Sengoku’s title. Strikeforce made a partnership with Dream, so my manager said I can also fight in Japan, at Dream”.

However, Silva’s manager Alex Davis has since had this to say in regards to the potential match-up between the two, “I spoke with them and they said everything is ok. I’m in Brazil and I don’t know more about it, but I think it’s gonna happen”.

Stay tuned to 5 Oz. as we continue to keep you up to date on this possible fight.

UPDATE: Since the posting of this story, all the usual sources are claiming to be the first reporting  that this fight has been confirmed by sources close to both camps.  Strikeforce has not as of this update confirmed the match up.

According to the American Top Team trained Brazilian in a recent interview with Tatame.com, his suspension has officially met its expiration.

“The Athletic Commission hasn’t contacted me and the suspension expired,” revealed Silva. “Now I’m relaxed, because they had to have made a meeting to revoke my license, and it didn’t happen. Once the penalty expires, they can’t do it”

While he’s finally free to return to action in the states, Silva is in no rush as has still some unfinished business in Japan he’s eager to take part in.

“I have two more fights in Sengoku, and after winning this one, that still I still have no opponent for, I should fight for the belt in December,” said the 6’5″, 265 pound knockout artist. “They will create the belt and I will fight for the title”

So who’s Silva facing in his next bout under the Sengoku banner? The answer to that question may surprise you.

“I can’t even imagine who can be (my opponent), I have no idea,” began Antonio. “I wish it were Josh Barnett, once he won’t in the United States anymore. He has a contract with Sengoku and is trained, so who knows, this fight can happen”

The San Jose-based promotion is believed to have the option of acquiring additional contracts from ProElite in the future, but as it stands now, a great deal of fighters will continue to remain under ProElite control.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned that two fighters that will remain under contract to ProElite are EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio Silva and former EliteXC middleweight champion Murilo “Ninja” Rua.

Once considered a hot commodity, Silva’s stock has declined in recent months due to the fact that he defied a one-year suspension in January that had been handed down by the California State Athletic Commission due to a positive steroid test.

Had Silva not fought on January 4 for the Japan-based Sengoku promotion he could have been reinstated as early as July. However, the commission is now expected to meet in the next several months to vote to revoke Silva’s license and in turn leave him ineligible to fight in the United States on an indefinite basis.

Sources indicate that Silva’s stock was also hurt by the fact that he received $200,000 following EliteXC’s “Unfinished Business” in July for his heavyweight title victory against the late Justin Eilers in a bout that headlined a Showtime broadcast that served as a prelude to CBS’ telecast of Saturday Night Fights. Half of the six figure salary had been paid in the form of a guarantee with the other half coming in the form of a win bonus.

Having earned $35,000 for his knockout loss to Benji Radach this past October during EliteXC’s “Heat” event, Rua’s contract was also deemed to be too pricey. Despite having become the first-ever EliteXC middleweight champion following a second round TKO over Joey Villasenor during a combined Strikeforce and EliteXC event in July of 2007, Rua is just 2-2 in his last four bouts.

According to the promotion, Silva’s opponent will be Yoshihiro Nakao, who is best known to fans in the U.S. for earning a disqualification victory after being dropped from a punch by Heath Herring during a pre-fight staredown. Nakao instigated the punch by kissing Herring on the lips in a moment that lives on to this day in YouTube infamy.

Silva has not competed since winning EliteXC‘s then-vacant heavyweight title on July 26 in Stockton, Calif. during the promotion’s “Unfinished Business” event. Facing former UFC heavyweight title challenger Justin Eilers, the man known as “Big Foot”was declared victorious following a TKO stoppage at 0:19 of round 2.

Silva’s move to Sengoku will come with some controversy, as in August, Silva was suspended following the Eilers bout after the California State Athletic Commission claimed he had tested positive for the steroid Boldenone.

After an October appeal was upheld, Silva’s one-year suspension remains in effect and would likely be recognized by any state athletic commission in the United States. However, most Japan-based promotions do not honor suspensions handed down to fighters by athletic commissions in the U.S. By choosing to fight for Sengoku, Silva could hurt his chances of reinstatement when he’s eligible to re-apply for a license next July.

In addition to Silva vs. Nakao, other bouts set for Sengoku 7 include Takanori Gomi vs. Satoru Kitaoka for the vacant Sengoku lightweight title; Kazuo Misaki vs. Jorge Santiago for the vacant Sengoku middleweight championship; and heavyweight headliner between Hidehiko Yoshida and Sanae Kikuta.

Davis was contacted in response to a report that appeared on the Brazilian MMA website Tatame.com, which is stating that Silva is “close to signing with Sengoku.”

While speaking with Davis, he indicated that he did not agree with Tatame’s characterization of contract negoations. Confirming that Silva has indeed been contacted by Sengoku, Davis was quick to add that a finalized agreement is not yet imminent.

Davis also stated that several issues must be carefully considered before Silva’s camp can decide whether it will move forward with a new promotion. The most notable concern on the table is how they want to proceed in the wake of Silva’s one-year suspension handed down by the California State Athletic Commission.

CSAC announced in August that Silva had been suspended for a year and fined $2,500 after testing positive for boldenone following his July 26 title victory against Justin Eilers during EliteXC’s “Unfinished Business” event in Stockton, Calif. Boldenone is an anabolic steroid commonly used on racehorses. Silva has denied CSAC’s claim and appealed the fine and suspension. However, the suspension was upheld following an Oct. 22 appeal hearing.

Silva also has a restricted non-exclusive contract with ProElite, in which premium-cable provider Showtime claims it will auction off on Nov. 17 in response to ProElite’s default of a prior loan agreement.

In this interview, which is translated by Planet Tatami’s André Filipe Cassimiro de Sousa, Silva discusses his recent suspension by the California State Athletic Commission for alleged steroid use, the decision by long-time American Top Team trainer Benkei to leave the fight camp, his thoughts on his most recent win over Justin Eilers, and more.

Planet Tatami: Sherdog.com has stated that you tested positive for steroids, do you have anything to declare about it? Will you try to appeal this situation? Please comment, if you can.

Antonio Silva: Yeah, that’s true. I was really surprised with this shocking news. But (those) who know me and stayed with me in these last three years know that I don’t use any kind of steroid and I’m totally against the use of them. A lot of fighters that use steroids are truly beasts inside of the ring but without it they became little kitties. I love fighting but at first place is my life and after my surgery I realized I couldn’t take anything like that. For now I’ll re-take all the exams that I need and surely it’s going to be a matter of time to show the fans and MMA supporters that it was just a misunderstanding.

Planet Tatami: How many fights do you still have in your contract with Elite?

Antonio Silva: I still have three fights under my contract with EliteXC.

Planet Tatami: Give your comments about the fight against Justin Eilers. How do you feel being the champion of EliteXC?

Antonio Silva: The fight went as me and my team had planned. I (put my all into my training) and did what my trainers asked me to do. I’m feeling very happy (and) feeling like my mission was acomplished.

Planet Tatami: In your opinion, who will be the winner between Frank Mir and Minotauro (Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira)? And what about Andrei Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett?

Antonio Silva: In my opinion Minotauro will be the winner. At this current point in time there is no fighter at the same level of Minotauro. And regarding Andrei vs. Barnett, it’s going to be a though fight for both fighters because they are world class athletes, but I’ll support Andrei.

Planet Tatami: When is your next fight for Elite? Is there any possibility for you to fight outside Elite?

Antonio Silva: It was scheduled to September 20th but the event was cancelled. Yes, I’m free to fight outside EliteXC; my contract gives me this right.

Planet Tatami: What was your reaction when Benkei left ATT?

Antonio Silva: Well, I’m sad because Benkei is an awesome physical trainer and he was like a father for all athletes but I have to respect the opinion of ATT headmasters. I’m quite sure we lost a great professional who would kill or die if it was necessary just to see an ATT fighter win. He carried the flag and logo of the gym with (great passion).

Planet Tatami: What would you like to say to your fans reading this?

Antonio Silva: Thanks for the opportunity and I ask all Brazilians to trust me, because I don’t need to use any prohibited substance in my body. Naturally I produce what I need. I’m a real champion (and) the belt is mine and it will be for a long time. If somebody wanna take it from me, he won’t do it by cheating me, making me look bad but he will have to put fighters to face me, to take it in the right way.

Brazil has the best MMA fighters around the world and it’s annoying a lot of people, but they will have to see for a long time names like Minotauro, Anderson Silva, Paulão Filho, Jorge Santiago, Pedro Rizzo and me, Antonio Silva. True champions.

Planet Tatami is the exclusive Brazilian MMA correspondent site for FiveOuncesOfPain.com and its translated English content appears on this site exclusively with Planet Tatami’s permission. For additional MMA content from Planet Tatami, please visit the site at: http://www.planettatami.com.br

“We respect the California commission and the job they do. We always enjoy working with them and work very well together,” said EliteXC Head of Fighter Operations Jeremy Lappen in a prepared statement released by the company. “The illegal use of steroids is a problem in all major sports, including mixed martial arts. We certainly do not condone the use of steroids.

“But we also support, trust and have confidence in our fighter, Antonio Silva, who has denied ever taken any illegal substance, including steroids, and is prepared to challenge the results of the California Commission,” Lappen continued. “So until all the facts are known and a final decision is rendered, EliteXC will reserve making any further comments at this time.’’

FiveOuncesOfPain.com also spoke exclusively with EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw on Thursday evening and asked him if Silva would be stripped of the title if he was not successful in getting the suspension overturned.

“I think that’s a conversation that the brass needs to have,” Shaw responded. “It really depends on all the information and what the situation was.”

“Dear Family, Friends, Fans and Public, I did not use the steroid Boldenone, or any other steroid of prohibited substance,” Silva’s statement began. “I don’t agree and never have agreed with the use of this kind of product in order to win, for this is cheating. I will go to the full extent of my power and the law to prove my innocence in this matter.”

Boldenone is an anabolic steroid primarily used by veterinarian’s on animals. In response to followups responses written by those who read Silva’s statement, Davis maintained Silva’s innocence but was unsure why the test came out positive.

“My friends, Antonio is one of the hardest working, most serious athletes I know,” wrote Davis. “He also is a man that holds high his principles. We dont know at this point how he tested positive for a horse steroid, but what we do know is that he doesn’t make use of these kind of products. However, we will find out or die trying. We are allways reading about guys getting caught and declaring (their) innocence, and it is always met with a degree of skepticism, but the (truth) is that career hurting mistakes are being made and it is high time the we find out how and why they happen. We are extremely sure of ourselves in this matter and are willing to go to the very gates of hell to prove that we are being wronged. Hopefully, this will not only clear Antonio, but also help clear other peolple that have had the same thing happen to them.”

The California State Athletic Commission alerted the media via e-mail on Thursday that EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio Silva failed a drug test administered by the commission just prior to his winning the then-vacant title against Justin Eilers on July 26 in a fight televised on SHOWTIME.

According to the commission, Silva is accused of testing positive for the anabolic steroid Boldenone. As a result of the test failure, Silva has been suspended by the commission for a year and has been fined $2,500. He has the right to an appeal hearing.

CSAC officials tested both an “A” and a “B” sample with each sample going to a separate laboratory company. Getting an appeal for a positive test overturned rarely happens, meaning that Silva is very likely to be stripped of the heavyweight title.

The commission has also alerted the media that Edwin Dewees has been suspended for alleged use of steroids as well. CSAC contends that Dewees tested positive for the anabolic steroid Nandrolone for his fight against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira on July 19 at Affliction: Banned. Like Silva, he has been suspended for a year and fined $2,500.

Eric Pele has been signed for the card and he’ll be dropping from super heavyweight to heavyweight and will be fighting Antoine “Herc” Hayes.

The fight promotion is promising that some other notable names will be added to the card as well.