Is Fabricio Werdum The One?
Fabricio Werdum stands on the brink of championship status tonight (Saturday June 13th, 2015), as he prepares to take on the UFC heavyweight division’s champion Cain Velasquez. The interim boss features in the main event with his unification tilt against the Mexican boss, who will enjoy the support of the locals in Mexico City, Mexico.
Velasquez has proved to be arguably the most dominant heavyweight force in recent times, with insane cardio, a high-pressure style and some serious chops in the striking and wrestling departments. The facts make Werdum’s task seem somewhat immeasurable, but is he getting the raw end of the public opinion?
A staggering 80% of 200 voters on LowKickMMA picked Velasquez to remain champion at UFC 188, 69% of the overall voters thought that ‘CV’ would get the win with a knockout. Werdum’s claims that Velasquez isn’t a Mexican seems to have touched a nerve, and maybe an angered champion is more dangerous to the Brazilian grappler, but is he really that much of an underdog?
Aside from Velasquez’s only and instantly avenged loss to Junior Dos Santos, the hometown hero at UFC 188 has completely bossed the division since 2010. His average of 1.2 fights per year because of injuries is not great, but his record of 13-1 speaks for itself. Werdum’s chances clearly lay with his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but it may be a bad idea to clinch up or try to take Velasquez down. Maybe the fact that his patented guard pull would be a very bad idea against the dominant AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) wrestler is helping in the consensus opinion on Werdum’s chances.
The much-improved striking game of the Rafael Cordeiro prospect is impressive, but again it plays in to the gameplan of Velasquez. It sounds as though Werdum’s strengths are good for Velasquez, if that makes sense. His confidence in the stand up might lead Werdum in to trouble with the champ, and attempting anything on the mat might lead to a brutal TKO or a drawn out beating over five rounds.
Apart from that diamond punch by Junior Dos Santos in 2011, no one has ever controlled or won rounds against ‘CV’, a fact that makes him the most formidable heavyweight on the planet. Nothing is a sure bet in the UFC, but there are fights that are simply too one-sided to pick against the favorite, see Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen for example. Is Velasquez vs. Werdum this much of a squash match?
It truly will take something special to topple the champion from his perch, but it can be done, he isn’t undefeated. It pays to remember also that Werdum defeated the once untouchable Fedor Emelianenko, albeit on the GOAT’s down-swing. That being said, is Fabricio Werdum the one?
