EliteXC Champ Silva Mulls Fights in Sengoku, CSAC Warns Against It

EliteXC Heavyweight Champion “Bigfoot” Antonio Silva (11-1) is considering fighting for World Victory Road’s Sengoku promotion in Japan, according to Silva’s manager, Alexander Davis.

“There has been interest by World Victory Road, but nothing has been decided yet,” Davis told Fighters.com.  “Antonio is a professional fighter and must fight, that’s how he pays his bills.  If he can’t fight in the United States due to the suspension from CSAC, he must consider other alternatives.”

Silva was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission on 26 July for testing positive for the anabolic agent Boldenone after his victory over Justin Eilers (19-7-1) at EliteXC in Stockton, east of San Francisco.

Davis told Fighters.com, “Antonio did not make use of Boldenone or any other banned substance.  We provided evidence to the CSAC to prove it.”

Despite the evidence Silva provided, the CSAC upheld Silva’s one-year suspension with a unanimous 5-0 vote during an appeal 22 October.

“Even though there is reasonable doubt and the CSAC did not meet the burden of proof, they upheld the suspension,” said Davis.

The CSAC stands by its decision and, according to Bill Douglas, Staff Analyst for the California State Athletic Commission, any fight Silva takes in Japan would be considered a violation of his CSAC suspension.  That could have repercussions across the United States.

Douglas told Fighters.com, “If [he fights in Japan], Antonio Silva would be forced to appear in front of the Athletic Commission at a meeting and explain why he did what he did, which was essentially not honor our suspension.  And of course Antonio would be assessed an additional monetary fine.  So, it will make things difficult if he ever decides to fight in the United States again.  A lot more difficult that it had to be.”

Athletic commissions in the United States or anywhere else are not legally obligated to honor Silva’s CSAC suspension.

But, Douglas explained, “Other athletic commissions throughout the United States are going to want to know why he’s on an indefinite suspension.  And, because athletic commissions share information with each other, we will tell those commissions what the suspension is about.”

Silva’s manager, Davis, said, “I would like to think that Antonio being suspended by the CSAC and his fighting in Japan are unrelated subjects.  Antonio is under suspension in California, not Japan.”

But, Douglas and the CSAC disagree:

“We just ask, if someone has had a suspension as an athlete, that it is honored.  Most of the time, the athletes are great about it.  They do honor it.

“We certainly wish [Silva] no ill will.  He will choose to do what he chooses to do.  But, if fighting in Japan is the path he decides to take, then here in this office of the Commission, we will do what we have to do.”

If Silva chooses to fight in Sengoku, he would match-up versus one of their heavyweights.  The division includes seventh-ranked “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (19-5), “Snowman” Jeff Monson (24-8), “Diesel” Travis Wiuff (54-12), and others.

Davis said, “I think that Antonio can and should fight the biggest names out there.  Antonio versus Fedor, Barnett, Arlovski, or Lesnar would be great fights.  It is real sad that ProElite folded for they were actively seeking cross promotional fights.  I think that Antonio is definitely top five in world heavyweight division.  I also think that Antonio has everything needed to become number one in the world.  All that is needed is to let him fight.”