Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva vs. Alistair Overeem targeted for UFC 156

Alistair Overeem‘s first fight since being suspended for nine months after a failed pre-UFC 146 drug test is set to be against a fellow former Strikeforce fighter.

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva had called out Overeem and said that he would love to “welcome him” back to the UFC. Apparently, Dana White and Joe Silva agree with that idea and have tentatively set for the two to face one another at UFC 156 in Las Vegas. Although no official announcement has been made, the Las Vegas Review Journal was the first to report on the proposed matchup that will take place on the same card that will feature Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar‘s battle for Aldo’s UFC featherweight title.

Overeem will be back in the Octagon for the first time since his 2011 TKO victory over Brock Lesnar. He was set to face champion Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146 but a drug test prior to the event showed a 14-to-1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone (T/E) ratio, more than twice the 6-to-1 ratio allowed by the commission. Overeem was subsequently pulled from the fight and was hit with a nine month suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission. He has still maintained his #1 contender slot and could have waited for the winner of the December 29th title fight between Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez. However, his team decided against an extended stay on the shelf and opted to return as soon as the suspension had ended.  

UFC 156 takes place February 2nd at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV.