Strikeforce Hosts AKA vs ATT! Mike Kyle Replaces Overeem To Fight Big Foot Silva

American Kickboxing Academy AKA fighter Mike Kyle has replaced an injured Valentijn Overeem with former EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio "Big Foot" Silva at STRIKEFORCE: Henderson vs. Babalu 2.  STRIKEFORCE CEO Scort Coker confirmed Overeem notified him of his injury 2 days ago and sent x-rays of his elbow injury.  Valentijn is the older brother of STRIKEFORCE heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem.

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).

Coker confirmed that AKA Trainer Javier Mendez said Kyle is ready to fight Silva. 

Kyle's biography on Strikeforce.com states:
NAME - MIKE KYLE
NICKNAME - MAK
FIGHTING OUT OF - AMERICAN KICKBOXING ACADEMY - SAN JOSE, CA
AGE - 29
WEIGHT - 219 LBS
HEIGHT - 6 FT 3 IN
MMA RECORD - 17-7-1

"Mike “Mak” Kyle of San Jose doesn’t mind admitting it. His consistent presence in church on Sunday mornings over the last four years coincides with the date Kyle would just as soon forget: May 5, 2006.  That’s when the STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight (205 pounds) Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter was disqualified from his fight against Brian Olsen at WEC 20 for attacking Olsen following the bell. After an 18-month suspension from the sport, redemption has been sweet for the 30-year-old Kyle, who has won four fights in a row and eight out of nine and is the last fighter to defeat superstar Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante."

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.

NAME - ANTONIO SILVA
NICKNAME - BIGFOOT
FIGHTING OUT OF - AMERICAN TOP TEAM
AGE - 30
WEIGHT - 265 LBS
HEIGHT - 6 FT 4 IN
MMA RECORD - 14-2


A black belt in judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.  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, Fabricio Werdum, on Nov.7, 2009.  In 16 professional appearances, Silva has been finished only once.