Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Antonio Silva is just 2-2(1) since first meeting Cain Velasquez in the cage 28 months ago, but he believes he will get another shot at the championship sooner than later.
Speaking with Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting, Bigfoot said a win over Andrei Arlovski at UFC fight Night 51 Saturday evening would put him right back into the heavyweight title picture.
There are not many fighters in the heavyweight division, it’s not like the lightweights, so two or three big wins can get you a title shot. It’s not about how many wins can you get, it’s about who can you beat. I earned a title shot with wins over Browne and Overeem. After I fight Arlovski, they will probably give me another one and then I can fight for the title.
Silva hasn't recorded a victory inside the Octagon since scoring a stunning come-from-behind win over former Strikeforce/K-1 champ Alistair Overeem at UFC 156 in February of last year.
Coupled with a TKO win over surging contender Travis Browne, the heavy-handed Brazilian got another crack at Velasquez—now the heavyweight titleholder—at UFC 160 in May 2013.
While it wasn't the brutal, bloody affair it was during the first meeting, it was even quicker: Velasquez was dropped early on with a right hand and finished off with relentless ground-and-pound after just 81 seconds of action.
Bigfoot seemingly bounced back from the lopsided affair by delivering a five-round classic against fellow slugger Mark Hunt at UFC Fight Night 33 in December.
Although the 25 minutes of non-stop action ended in a majority draw, both competitors earned the respect of the fight community for their efforts.
However, Silva's performance ended up being tainted after testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone, per John Morgan and Steven Marrocco MMA Junkie.
After being handed a nine-month suspension from the UFC, the 34-year-old threatened to sue the doctor who monitored his testosterone-replacement therapy usage, per Cruz.
This evening's encounter with Arlovski is a rematch from May 2010, where Silva won a clear-cut decision under the Strikeforce banner.
Would another win over Arlovski truly propel Bigfoot back into the UFC heavyweight title picture, or would he still be on the outside looking in for a while?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
