Antonio “Big Foot” Silva says he tried hard to get a fight with Kimbo Slice while the two were signed to EliteXC.
His manager Alex Davis repeatedly asked for the bout, but the matchmakers at the now-defunct organisation turned it down.
“The EliteXC matchmaker told us that Kimbo Slice wouldn’t last more than thirty or forty seconds with me,” Silva told leading Brazil’s leading MMA TV show, Brasil Combate.
He said he was keen for the fight because, despite respecting Kimbo, he resented the amount of attention he received.
“Kimbo has all my respect but he didn’t deserve all attention of the organisation. I bet the rest of my career that any Brazilian lightweight fighter can beat him easily” he explained.
Silva is currently fighting a different kind of battle, after being banned for alleged substance misuse by the California State Athletic Commission.
He denies the charges but landed himself in deeper trouble with CSAC when he took a fight in Japan recently.
CSAC has threatened to completely withdraw his licence to fight, which would completely kill his career in the US.
“I could have waited for the suspension to expire but I’m not guilty. I am sure I will be the first professional mixed martial artist to prove my innocence in a doping accusation,” Silva stated as he swore to fight the charges until the end.
Earlier today, it emerged that Silva – who has a three-fight non-exlcusive deal with Sengoku – might be facing Aleksander Emelianenko in his next bout.
Coincidentially, Emelianenko has also experienced difficulty with CSAC after being removed at short notice from Affliction’s debut MMA show in July last year.
Source: http://bsbcombate.com.br/?p=6165
