Overeem Suffers Elbow Injury, Off Dec. 4 Strikeforce

Valentijn Overeem, older brother of Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, has suffered an elbow injury that has forced him off the Dec. 4 Strikeforce card. The news was first reported by MMAweekly.com, and Sherdog has confirmed the story with sources close to the bout. Though the specific nature of Overeem’s elbow troubles remains unknown, he is reportedly awaiting the results of X-rays that will illuminate the severity of the injury.

Overeem (Pictured) was scheduled to face former EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva on the main card. No word has been given regarding a replacement for the Dutchman.

The event, which will go down at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, has now had three fighters pull out of their respective bouts. The show took two body blows earlier this week when St. Louis native Jesse Finney withdrew from his match with an eye injury and heavyweight competitor Herschel Walker was sidelined after suffering a cut under his left eye in training.

Overeem is coming off back-to-back wins. The veteran began his career back in 1996 and holds notable victories over Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Ian Freeman and five-time UFC champion Randy Couture. The Golden Glory product holds all but one of his 28 career victories by way of stoppage. His bout with Silva would have marked the 34-year-old’s Strikeforce debut.