Kyle replaces Valentijn Overeem, who withdrew from the event with an elbow injury.
Based in San Jose, Calif., Kyle will carry a four-fight winning streak into the match. The 30-year-old last appeared at an Xtreme MMA show on Nov. 5, when he stopped Stephen Oliver on first-round punches at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre in Sydney, Australia. A potent finisher, Kyle has delivered 12 of his 18 career victories by knockout or technical knockout, including a June 2009 upset of reigning Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante. He owns a 2-2-1 mark inside Strikeforce.
The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Silva has not competed since he earned a unanimous decision over former UFC heavyweight king Andrei Arlovski at Strikeforce “Heavy Artillery” in May. A black belt in judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the 31-year-old has won seven of his last eight fights, losing only to the world-ranked Fabricio Werdum in that span. In 16 professional appearances, Silva has been finished only once.
A light heavyweight showdown between two-time Olympian Dan Henderson and Renato “Babalu” Sobral will headline Strikeforce’s year-end event, along with a middleweight tilt pairing former EliteXC champion Robbie Lawler with 2000 Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland.
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