MIKE “MAK’’ KYLE REPLACES INJURED VALENTIJN OVEREEM AGAINST ‘BIG FOOT’ SILVA THIS SATURDAY IN ST. LOUIS ON SHOWTIME®

Posted on | November 30, 2010 | No Comments

NEW YORK (Nov. 29, 2010) – Streaking STRIKEFORCE star Mike “Mak’’ Kyle (18-7) will replace the injured Valentijn Overeem and take on former heavyweight world champion Antonio “Big Foot’’ Silva (14-2) of Coconut Creek, Fla., by way of Brazil, in one of the featured televised fights on STRIKEFORCE: Henderson vs. Babalu this Saturday, Dec. 4, at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

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

Legendary MMA superstar Dan Henderson (25-8) of Temecula, Calif., will clash with former STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight world champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8) of Cerritos, Calif., via Brazil, in a rematch between world-class 205-pounders in the main event.

Other televised fights: Paul “Semtex’’ Daley (25-9-2) of Nottingham, England, confronts Scott “Hands Of Steel” Smith (17-7, 1 NC), of Elk Grove, Calif., in a matchup of power-punching welterweights (170 pounds) and former world champion and exciting local favorite “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-6, 1 NC), of Granite City, Ill., goes up against 2000 Olympic Games silver medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland (22-7) of Oregon City, Ore., in a middleweight (185 pounds) bout.

Tickets are on sale at Scottrade Center, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com or by phone (800) 745-3000. Doors at Scottrade Center will open for the event at 6 p.m. CT. The first preliminary bout will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the first televised main card fight will begin at 9 p.m.

The 6-foot-3, 30-year-old Kyle, of San Jose, Calif., has gone 5-0 with one No Contest since losing to Fedor conqueror, Fabricio Werdum, on Aug. 15, 2009. In his last start, Kyle scored a first-round TKO (punches) over Stephen Oliver on Nov. 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 Champion Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante in June 2009.

In his last appearance for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME, Kyle submitted (rear-naked choke) 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 champion 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 Nov.7, 2009.