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Make no mistake about it, Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva is an imposing figure.
Standing at 6’4” and teetering just below the 265lbs heavyweight limit, a fight against the Brazilian behemoth is a tall order for any UFC heavyweight.
This Saturday, Bigfoot will face off against Mark ‘Super Samoan’ hunt in the main event of UFC Fight Night 33: Hunt versus Bigfoot live at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
When asked if his size will play a factor in this fight, Bigfoot dismissed the idea:
“Size is nothing in a fight. Mark has fought big guys before.
“I think the size is nothing inside the cage.”
Instead, Bigfoot feels it is his skills that will make the difference.
“I’ve knocked out two guys in my last four fights. I also have my wrestling and a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu.
“I think my Jiu-Jitsu is my main advantage.”
The two had once been training partners, though Bigfoot says this experience won’t matter much come fight time.
“When we trained together, I was at the start of my camp so I wasn’t in good shape.
“In a fight you have adrenaline and you’re in good shape. I don’t think too much about it.
“In training he put me on the ground and I didn’t put him down. Training is training and a fight is a fight.”
Bigfoot’s biggest feat in the UFC thus far has been an upset knockout victory over former K-1 champ Alistair Overeem in February.
“At the end of the second round, I went to my corner and my coach said ‘Hey, his fight has stopped. Now you go towards him and knock him out. We’re going to win this fight.’
“My batteries were recharged and this was my time. My coach told me to put him on the ground and finish this fight.
“At the start of the third round I went for the takedown and he tried the same thing.
“I thought, when a striker tries to take a fight to the ground he’s in trouble.”
While the victory put Bigfoot into title contention, he keeps the upset in perspective.
“The most important win for me was Fedor [Emelianenko]. [The Overeem win] is special to me because he talked a lot and disrespected me.”
On his road back to a title shot, Bigfoot emphasised what matters most.
“I don’t know the quantity of fighters I will have to fight. What matters is the quality of fighters I will fight.”
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