The heavyweight version of musical chairs for UFC 146 continues as Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva will step in for the recently promoted Frank Mir against Cain Velasquez. While now former opponent Roy Nelson lobbied hard for the spot, the big Brazilian fighter got the call against the former UFC champion. UFC President Dana White announced the move via his twitter account.
The recent change now sees Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva take on the foe he was originally rumored to face in UFC debut. Both fighters are coming off big losses and both will be looking to turn things around when they face off at 146. Silva was battered by Velasquez’s teammate Daniel Cormier in the semifinals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. While Velasquez is looking to rebound after a devastating loss of his title to Junior Dos Santos.
After Alistair Overeem’s recent commission troubles, UFC 146 will now be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between the champion, Junior Dos Santos, and former champion Frank Mir. While Overeem could have still been cleared to fight on Tuesday, Dana White stated a change had to be made since it is unlikely Overeem will be cleared.
No word on whether Roy Nelson will be given a new opponent at this time.
