Antonio Silva determined to "start off on the right foot" with the UFC

“Both of us need a victory. I have been training hard since December, and this fight will be a war. Roy (Nelson) is a great and tough fighter. He has fought the best, and I want to start with the right foot in the UFC.  I will only concentrate on Roy – with the same determination I had with Fedor Emelianenko.

All I want to accomplish are good fights for my fans, and I want the UFC happy with me. I need to establish myself in the event. There is a long road to a title shot. … I will be constantly looking for a knockout or a sub.” – For more from Antonio Silva, visit MMAJunkie.com

Antonio Silva wants to get off on the right foot with the UFC.

Which is why, according to the former EliteXC Champion, he’ll approach Roy Nelson with the same determination that he had when he defeated Fedor Emelianenko.

After earning a spot in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament with consecutive victories over Mike Kyle and Andrei Arlovski, “Bigfoot” went on to score the biggest win of his career, defeating tourney favorite, Emelianenko, in the quarterfinal round. The celebration was short-lived, however, as the Brazilian failed to maintain that momentum and was knocked-out by alternate, Daniel Cormier, in the semifinals.

Now set to make his octagon debut at UFC 146, Silva hopes to get back on track to a title shot with a big victory over “Big Country.” So, what’s the word LowKick’ers? Does “Bigfoot” have what it takes to tangle with the top ten in the UFC, or will his road to title contention begin and end with the TUF 10 winner?

Further Reading: Cain Velasquez vs. Frank Mir, Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva set for UFC 146

Photo: MMAWeekly.com