With Cain Velasquez sidelined, the heavyweight interim title is on the line Saturday in Mexico City, Mexico, at UFC 180 when Fabricio Werdum and Mark Hunt step into the Octagon in the main event.
For the 40-year-old Hunt, this presents the peak of an epic comeback story that began with an early 2011 win that halted a six-fight losing streak. He has garnered plenty of headlines on his comeback trail not only because of its grand scope, but because of his hard-hitting ways.
Werdum is more technical and garners less headlines as he expertly utilizes Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a skill set that has him as the No. 1 heavyweight contender.
Make no mistake, the entire fight card is solid. UFC and Dana White have pulled out all the stops for what is a critical Saturday on the calendar. But the headlining act is certainly worthy of the top slot and demands the eyes of the globe.
When: Saturday, November 15, 2014
Where: Arena Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico City
Start Time: 10 p.m. ET
Watch: UFC.tv pay-per-view
UFC 180 Fight Card
Fabricio Werdum vs. Mark Hunt Breakdown
A war of contrasting styles highlights Saturday’s marquee event.
Hunt is fortunate to have this opportunity in front of him given a recent chain of events involving the current title holder, but it helps that he has bulldozed over almost everyone in his way over the course of the past two years and change.
The Super Samoan has just a 10-8-1 record in mixed martial arts but has a 70 percent knockout rate. The ability to tag his opponents relentlessly gives the underdog a serious avenue for victory in any bout.
For his part, Hunt embraces his role in the bout, too, per MMAFighting.com’s Shaun Al-Shatti:
My whole career’s been an underdog’s. I’m not supposed to be here. I won the world title in K-1 as a nobody. Of course I’m the underdog. Everyone is saying it. I mean, even these circumstances brings me there, but hey, man, it makes a good story. If anyone can do it, I can do it.
If there is a fighter who can put an emphatic end to the feel-good story, though, it would be Werdum.
Werdum has won seven of his last eight fights, fully putting on display his extensive grappling background. One has to presume that the ideal approach for the No. 1 contender is to get Hunt on the ground to finish things, but the fact he has a major reach advantage and is 6’5″ to Hunt’s 5’10” certainly does not hurt, either.
Still, standing in and trading blows with Hunt may not prove so kind to Werdum’s chin. This is something his coach, Rafael Cordeiro, has stressed as of late, as captured by UFC.com’s Nancy Gay:
We know Fabricio has more skills on the floor, and he knows the best way to beat Mark Hunt is on the floor. But it’s hard to put this (advantage) in Fabricio’s mind, because he likes to challenge himself. He’s going to prove to the world that he’s the real champ, and he is ready for the belt. When you are ready for the belt, you fight the opponent that is put in front of you.
The fact stubbornness may prevent Werdum from going to his main strength early and often would normally act as a major red flag.
But in this particular fight, not so much. Hunt is a great fighter and a serious threat to anybody he steps in the Octagon with, but the conditions leading up to the fight have not been ideal.
Not only is the fight on short notice, meaning Hunt may have stamina issues at the high altitude in Mexico City, he has had issues cutting his weight to the required 265 pounds, as noted by Al-Shatti. Not only does that create further stamina concerns, it places him at a lighter weight than usual so that he cannot physically impose himself on Werdum.
Hunt has the proverbial puncher’s chance. Perhaps more than most. But he is a fill-in as a card headliner whose opponent touts elite strengths in areas that are his biggest weakness.
Look for Hunt to make it interesting, but Werdum should have no issues taking things to the mat and getting the victory, so long as he wises up after getting tagged a few times and gets right down to riding his strengths.
Note: Stats and info courtesy of UFC.com unless otherwise specified.
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