Longtime UFC Heavyweight Antonio Silva Agrees to Fight for Russian Promotion on Nov. 18

It didn’t take long for 11-time Octagon veteran Antonio Silva to find a new home.

The former UFC heavyweight title challenger has signed a contract to face unbeaten prospect Ivan Shtyrkov on Nov. 18 under the Titov Boxing Promotions banner in Yekaterinburg, Russia. MMAjunkie.com was the first to report the news.

Silva was released from his UFC contract last week after winning just one of his last eight fights within the Las Vegas-based promotion. The Brazilian known as “Bigfoot” went 3-7-1 during his promotional tenure with notable wins over Alistair Overeem and Travis Browne. Silva challenged for the heavyweight crown at UFC 160, losing to then champion Cain Velasquez via first-round TKO.

Shtyrkov, meanwhile, has compiled a 4-0 record while competing exclusively for Titov Boxing Promotions. That ledger includes a 31-second submission of Jeff Monson on May 6 that reportedly occurred under controversial circumstances. All four of Shtyrkov’s triumphs have come inside of a round.