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Fabricio Werdum and Fedor Emelianenko are in advanced talks of a rematch ten years after their first fight.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum says talks of a rematch against Fedor Emelianenko are heating up.
Werdum shocked the world when he defeated Emelianenko by submission in 69-seconds in their Strikeforce fight back in 2010. “Vai Cavalo” became the first person to decisively defeat Fedor and end his lengthy win streak in the process.
Werdum (24-9-1) recently fought out of his UFC contract, defeating Alexander Gustafsson by submission in July. The Brazilian has been open to fighting elsewhere, and with Emelianenko currently under contract with Bellator MMA, Werdum could be heading there to rematch the Russian.
“(The talks) really are advanced. Ali went there (Bellator) last week, had the talk, and now it’s a matter of Fedor accepting,” Werdum told Canal Encarada. “And he said the other day in an interview that he wanted to do this rematch as well. Since I have a huge respect for Fedor, I’d definitely give him a rematch — not only for that, but also the financial side, the promotion, the whole history we had.” (Transcription via MMA Fighting)
Emelianenko (39-6, 1NC) signed with Bellator in 2017 and since fought five times for the promotion. The 44-year-old, who many considered the greatest heavyweight of all time, has defeated the likes of Chael Sonnen and Frank Mir during his current stint in Bellator.
“If Fedor accepts, if he really wants to fight me one more time for this rematch… And, with all due respect, I firmly believe I will submit him again. I have no doubt. It’s not me being cocky, it’s the reality. That’s what I imagine. It will be a tough, of course. People think the other fight was easy, but how about the one before? Fighting Fedor, the expectation, nobody believing in me, everybody against me and chanting ‘The Emperor’ in the arena. It was tough, of course, because of everything that surrounded it.”