Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (photo via Strikeforce)

By FCF Staff

Not only did Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva shock many throughout the MMA world by knocking out decorated striker Alistair Overeem at UFC 156, but the heavyweight blasted away the promotion’s plans for an Overeem-Cain Velasquez title fight in the coming months.

Due to Overeem’s impressive resume, and the former Strikeforce champion’s win over Brock Lesnar, UFC President Dana White had relayed that Overeem would challenge the champion Velasquez next, if he won Saturday night.

So now what? A rubber match between Junior dos Santos and Velasquez is one option; however, White did not seem eager to commit to that fight after the champion dominated dos Santos in December. Due to Silva’s one sided loss to Velasquez last May, one would think that the 18-4 heavyweight would also be out of the running, despite his impressive win over Overeem. According to White, however, not necessarily.

“Going into this fight, we talked about if Alistair Overeem had won (he’d get a title shot),” White said after UFC 156 Saturday, according to a report from MMA Junkie. “But I’m telling you, the way he looked in this fight, and what he did to Alistair, maybe we do that fight again (with Silva-Velasquez). I don’t like to make fights right after the fight is over, but I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”

Silva has now recorded back-to-back stoppage wins over Travis Browne and Overeem, after dropping consecutive bouts to Velasquez and Daniel Cormier.