Fabricio Werdum will fight for the UFC gold on Nov. 15, but UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez won’t be the other man inside the Octagon in Mexico City.
The UFC announced on Tuesday that Velasquez is out of UFC 180 with a right knee injury, and knockout artist Mark Hunt will step in to face Werdum for an interim title.
“I was relaxing here in Mexico with my team when I got a call from Dana White,” Werdum told MMAFighting.com. “He said ‘I have good and bad news for you, Fabricio. The good one is that you will still fight for the title on Nov. 15, and the bad news is that Velasquez is out with a knee injury, and you will fight Mark Hunt instead.’”
“I felt weird,” he continued. “My goal is the title, of course, but Cain Velasquez was a great challenge and is the current champion, but it happens.”
Werdum is 4-0 since returning to the UFC in 2012, and Hunt enters the bout coming off an epic walk-off knockout victory over Roy Nelson in September.
“I watch Mark Hunt fight for a long time, since his K-1 days. He’s a nice guy,” Werdum said. “He tries to knock you out all the time. That’s his style. He doesn’t have a great ground game, but he’s good defensively. I will have to change my strategy, but I will stay focused on winning that title on Nov. 15.
“I know it’s not an easy fight,” he continued. “Mark Hunt has a huge knockout power, but I will do my best to avoid that. I envision this fight like my fight with Roy Nelson. I will do the right thing to win the title.
“He’s a heavy guy and has a great chin. I have to be careful. I can’t say he’s an easier opponent than Cain Velasquez. There’s no easy fight in the UFC. Anyone can beat you. Everybody knows Mark Hunt’s punching power. I think my only advantage in this fight is that I’m training for a long time for it.”
Velasquez’s injury news took the MMA world by surprise on Tuesday, and ruined Werdum’s head coach prediction.
“My master Rafael Cordeiro once told me: ‘Werdum, we’ll fight Velasquez and we will win. After that, you will rematch Velasquez in Las Vegas, and then we will fight Mark Hunt.’ It changed a bit now [laughs],” Werdum said. “I’m a little sad, but I believe I will fight Velasquez next.”
Fighting for the UFC gold for the first time, the multiple time jiu-jitsu and ADCC champion has the edge over Hunt on the grappling area, but won’t desperately go for a takedown on Nov. 15.
“Maybe a submission,” Werdum said. “I will work hard to get him tired. Who knows, maybe I can surprise him standing. I know it’s not easy. My prediction is that I will win the title. I envision myself speaking to Joe Rogan, with my hands raised, thanking everyone who helped me get here.”
Fabricio Werdum will fight for the UFC gold on Nov. 15, but UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez won’t be the other man inside the Octagon in Mexico City.
The UFC announced on Tuesday that Velasquez is out of UFC 180 with a right knee injury, and knockout artist Mark Hunt will step in to face Werdum for an interim title.
“I was relaxing here in Mexico with my team when I got a call from Dana White,” Werdum told MMAFighting.com. “He said ‘I have good and bad news for you, Fabricio. The good one is that you will still fight for the title on Nov. 15, and the bad news is that Velasquez is out with a knee injury, and you will fight Mark Hunt instead.’”
“I felt weird,” he continued. “My goal is the title, of course, but Cain Velasquez was a great challenge and is the current champion, but it happens.”
Werdum is 4-0 since returning to the UFC in 2012, and Hunt enters the bout coming off an epic walk-off knockout victory over Roy Nelson in September.
“I watch Mark Hunt fight for a long time, since his K-1 days. He’s a nice guy,” Werdum said. “He tries to knock you out all the time. That’s his style. He doesn’t have a great ground game, but he’s good defensively. I will have to change my strategy, but I will stay focused on winning that title on Nov. 15.
“I know it’s not an easy fight,” he continued. “Mark Hunt has a huge knockout power, but I will do my best to avoid that. I envision this fight like my fight with Roy Nelson. I will do the right thing to win the title.
“He’s a heavy guy and has a great chin. I have to be careful. I can’t say he’s an easier opponent than Cain Velasquez. There’s no easy fight in the UFC. Anyone can beat you. Everybody knows Mark Hunt’s punching power. I think my only advantage in this fight is that I’m training for a long time for it.”
Velasquez’s injury news took the MMA world by surprise on Tuesday, and ruined Werdum’s head coach prediction.
“My master Rafael Cordeiro once told me: ‘Werdum, we’ll fight Velasquez and we will win. After that, you will rematch Velasquez in Las Vegas, and then we will fight Mark Hunt.’ It changed a bit now [laughs],” Werdum said. “I’m a little sad, but I believe I will fight Velasquez next.”
Fighting for the UFC gold for the first time, the multiple time jiu-jitsu and ADCC champion has the edge over Hunt on the grappling area, but won’t desperately go for a takedown on Nov. 15.
“Maybe a submission,” Werdum said. “I will work hard to get him tired. Who knows, maybe I can surprise him standing. I know it’s not easy. My prediction is that I will win the title. I envision myself speaking to Joe Rogan, with my hands raised, thanking everyone who helped me get here.”
Royce Gracie, who hasn’t competed under grappling rules since a submission loss to Wallid Ismail in 1998, told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour that he wouldn’t put the gi on to face Bravo in a grappling match, but doesn’t rule out competing against him in a MMA bout.
“I haven’t got any offers, but I don’t compete in grappling rules,” Gracie said of facing Bravo at a Metamoris event. “I’m a MMA fighter, man. I’m a MMA fighter, all the way.”
“I’m pretty much done fighting,” he added. “With Eddie Bravo, it’s personal. … (Does Metamoris) allow punches to the face? Do this rubber guard stuff and I’ll punch you in the nose.”
Royce Gracie’s history with Bravo has nothing to do with his win over Royler Gracie or his grappling style, which goes against everything that the Gracie family has taught for decades.
“You’re gonna send your kids to learn from a guy that tells everybody that it’s okay to do drugs? It’s ok to drink alcohol? Sorry, man,” Gracie explained. “If you wanna do it in private, do it in private. I have no problem with that. But I can never send my kid to someone that praises alcohol and drugs. Is that what you want your kids to learn? It’s okay to smoke pot? ‘Oh, pot is not a drug.’ So walk into a police station with a pound of pot and tell the cops it’s not a drug. Come on.”
According to the UFC Hall of Famer and Bellator ambassador, Bravo’s lifestyle works against martial arts.
“People that don’t know and hear about it, they start to think that all the people that do jiu-jitsu smokes pot, is a drug addict,” Gracie said. “Here I am fighting for something good, and the guy is fighting for something bad, in my point of view. I can’t agree with that, what he represents. Nothing to do with his jiu-jitsu, his school. If you want to do something like that, do it in private. Keep it to yourself.”
Royce Gracie, who hasn’t competed under grappling rules since a submission loss to Wallid Ismail in 1998, told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour that he wouldn’t put the gi on to face Bravo in a grappling match, but doesn’t rule out competing against him in a MMA bout.
“I haven’t got any offers, but I don’t compete in grappling rules,” Gracie said of facing Bravo at a Metamoris event. “I’m a MMA fighter, man. I’m a MMA fighter, all the way.”
“I’m pretty much done fighting,” he added. “With Eddie Bravo, it’s personal. … (Does Metamoris) allow punches to the face? Do this rubber guard stuff and I’ll punch you in the nose.”
Royce Gracie’s history with Bravo has nothing to do with his win over Royler Gracie or his grappling style, which goes against everything that the Gracie family has taught for decades.
“You’re gonna send your kids to learn from a guy that tells everybody that it’s okay to do drugs? It’s ok to drink alcohol? Sorry, man,” Gracie explained. “If you wanna do it in private, do it in private. I have no problem with that. But I can never send my kid to someone that praises alcohol and drugs. Is that what you want your kids to learn? It’s okay to smoke pot? ‘Oh, pot is not a drug.’ So walk into a police station with a pound of pot and tell the cops it’s not a drug. Come on.”
According to the UFC Hall of Famer and Bellator ambassador, Bravo’s lifestyle works against martial arts.
“People that don’t know and hear about it, they start to think that all the people that do jiu-jitsu smokes pot, is a drug addict,” Gracie said. “Here I am fighting for something good, and the guy is fighting for something bad, in my point of view. I can’t agree with that, what he represents. Nothing to do with his jiu-jitsu, his school. If you want to do something like that, do it in private. Keep it to yourself.”
One of the few The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 non-finalists to earn a chance inside the Octagon, Richardson Moreira will cut 30 pounds for his next UFC fight.
“Rick Monstro,” who suffered a quick loss to Marcos Rogério de Lima in a heavyweight bout in May, will move down to 185 pounds and face Ildemar Alcantara at UFC 183 in Las Vegas on Jan. 31. The UFC announced the match-up on Monday.
Moreira (7-2) competed on the third TUF season in Brazil earlier this year, scoring first-round finishes over Alexandre Machado and Job Kleber before losing to Vitor Miranda in the semifinals. The Team Nogueira fighter, who weighed in at 216 for his UFC debut, now makes his debut at 185 pounds.
Alcantara (20-7), a former Jungle Fight middleweight champion, will finally fight in his original weight class in the UFC. After tapping Wagner Prado in his UFC debut at 205, “Marajo” cut all the way down to welterweight, going 2-2 at 170 pounds with wins over Leandro Silva and Albert Tumenov.
One of the few The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 non-finalists to earn a chance inside the Octagon, Richardson Moreira will cut 30 pounds for his next UFC fight.
“Rick Monstro,” who suffered a quick loss to Marcos Rogério de Lima in a heavyweight bout in May, will move down to 185 pounds and face Ildemar Alcantara at UFC 183 in Las Vegas on Jan. 31. The UFC announced the match-up on Monday.
Moreira (7-2) competed on the third TUF season in Brazil earlier this year, scoring first-round finishes over Alexandre Machado and Job Kleber before losing to Vitor Miranda in the semifinals. The Team Nogueira fighter, who weighed in at 216 for his UFC debut, now makes his debut at 185 pounds.
Alcantara (20-7), a former Jungle Fight middleweight champion, will finally fight in his original weight class in the UFC. After tapping Wagner Prado in his UFC debut at 205, “Marajo” cut all the way down to welterweight, going 2-2 at 170 pounds with wins over Leandro Silva and Albert Tumenov.
Fresh off a unanimous decision victory over Eduardo Dantas at Bellator 128, new Bellator bantamweight champion Joe Warren might go to Dantas’ backyard in 2016.
The decorated wrestler, who won the gold medal in the 2006 Pan American Championships in Rio de Janeiro, could return to wrestling competition 10 years later for the Olympic Games, also set for “Marvelous City.”
“I have an idea of maybe winning the Olympics, too,” Warren told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “I don’t know why, man. It’s my birthday yesterday, and that was in my mind again. … I don’t know. If the Worlds are in Las Vegas next year, a year from now, it would be pretty sweet to win the World Championship in Las Vegas.”
Warren won the 2006 edition of the World Championship in Guangzhou, China, and would be down to compete in both wrestling and MMA if he gets the right support. He came close to competing at the 2008 Olympic Games, but was sacked by a positive drug test for marijuana.
“I tried to do it last time. Pat Curran knocked me out seven days before the trials (in 2012). I lost in the trials, but I probably shouldn’t have been wrestling in the first place,” Warren said. “I didn’t think, at this age, I’d be talking about this again, but I’m faster, stronger, lighter, older, and all those things that makes wrestlers better. I don’t know. That’s a possibility.
“If I can get the support that I need, to be able to do the fighting and wrestling,” he added. “You know, I’ll still fight, that’s what I do. The wrestling would be just for fun. I’m open-minded, I need another goal to set in front of me. I’m sitting here with too many belts, and I’m thinking maybe I’ll get another wrestling one.”
Fresh off a unanimous decision victory over Eduardo Dantas at Bellator 128, new Bellator bantamweight champion Joe Warren might go to Dantas’ backyard in 2016.
The decorated wrestler, who won the gold medal in the 2006 Pan American Championships in Rio de Janeiro, could return to wrestling competition 10 years later for the Olympic Games, also set for “Marvelous City.”
“I have an idea of maybe winning the Olympics, too,” Warren told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “I don’t know why, man. It’s my birthday yesterday, and that was in my mind again. … I don’t know. If the Worlds are in Las Vegas next year, a year from now, it would be pretty sweet to win the World Championship in Las Vegas.”
Warren won the 2006 edition of the World Championship in Guangzhou, China, and would be down to compete in both wrestling and MMA if he gets the right support. He came close to competing at the 2008 Olympic Games, but was sacked by a positive drug test for marijuana.
“I tried to do it last time. Pat Curran knocked me out seven days before the trials (in 2012). I lost in the trials, but I probably shouldn’t have been wrestling in the first place,” Warren said. “I didn’t think, at this age, I’d be talking about this again, but I’m faster, stronger, lighter, older, and all those things that makes wrestlers better. I don’t know. That’s a possibility.
“If I can get the support that I need, to be able to do the fighting and wrestling,” he added. “You know, I’ll still fight, that’s what I do. The wrestling would be just for fun. I’m open-minded, I need another goal to set in front of me. I’m sitting here with too many belts, and I’m thinking maybe I’ll get another wrestling one.”
UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will put his title on the line against Chad Mendes on Oct. 25 in Rio de Janeiro, and he has the whole country of Brazil in his hands. If Mendes stops Aldo’s reign 4-year reign as 145-pound kingpin at UFC 179, Brazil would have no UFC titles for the first time in eight years.
Anderson Silva, the man who won the first UFC gold in years for his country in 2006, believes that his countryman recently lost three of the four championship belts because they stopped evolving. Royce Gracie, who dominated the UFC during an era where belts didn’t even exist, has a different take on the situation.
“It’s a strategy game. You can’t just be tough and talented,” Gracie told MMAFighting.com. “People outside (of Brazil) knows how to work with strategy really well. You have to know your opponent and take him out of his game. It might look easy at the end, but he trained really hard to make you do this, make this wrong step, and then knock you out in 30 seconds. That’s strategy. I think (Brazilian fighters) are lacking that.”
Gracie built an 11-1-1 record under the UFC banner, winning three one-night tournaments in the early 1990’s, using his jiu-jitsu only. It’s crazy to think that a fighter would be able to dominate his entire division using only one martial art today, and Gracie recognizes that. However, he criticizes fighters who walk away from their background when making a transition to MMA.
“A fighter does jiu-jitsu, boxing or kickboxing his whole life, and then he wants to do something else in the ring,” he said. “If you trained jiu-jitsu his whole life, why would you trade punches on fight night against a striker?”
“That’s why I like Demian Maia and Fabricio Werdum,” he continued. “Demian will take you down and do his game. Werdum learned the stand-up to know what’s coming, but he never stopped using his jiu-jitsu. He will clinch, take you down and submit you. It’s a strategy game. It’s not being talented only, you have to use strategy.”
Werdum is scheduled to challenge heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez on Nov. 15 in Mexico City, and Gracie won’t make a prediction on the fight.
“Werdum is good, is a smart fighter. He knows how to set up a beautiful strategy. He’s showed that already,” Gracie said. “But that’s only one way to find out if here’s going to win: getting inside the Octagon and fighting.”
UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will put his title on the line against Chad Mendes on Oct. 25 in Rio de Janeiro, and he has the whole country of Brazil in his hands. If Mendes stops Aldo’s reign 4-year reign as 145-pound kingpin at UFC 179, Brazil would have no UFC titles for the first time in eight years.
Anderson Silva, the man who won the first UFC gold in years for his country in 2006, believes that his countryman recently lost three of the four championship belts because they stopped evolving. Royce Gracie, who dominated the UFC during an era where belts didn’t even exist, has a different take on the situation.
“It’s a strategy game. You can’t just be tough and talented,” Gracie told MMAFighting.com. “People outside (of Brazil) knows how to work with strategy really well. You have to know your opponent and take him out of his game. It might look easy at the end, but he trained really hard to make you do this, make this wrong step, and then knock you out in 30 seconds. That’s strategy. I think (Brazilian fighters) are lacking that.”
Gracie built an 11-1-1 record under the UFC banner, winning three one-night tournaments in the early 1990’s, using his jiu-jitsu only. It’s crazy to think that a fighter would be able to dominate his entire division using only one martial art today, and Gracie recognizes that. However, he criticizes fighters who walk away from their background when making a transition to MMA.
“A fighter does jiu-jitsu, boxing or kickboxing his whole life, and then he wants to do something else in the ring,” he said. “If you trained jiu-jitsu his whole life, why would you trade punches on fight night against a striker?”
“That’s why I like Demian Maia and Fabricio Werdum,” he continued. “Demian will take you down and do his game. Werdum learned the stand-up to know what’s coming, but he never stopped using his jiu-jitsu. He will clinch, take you down and submit you. It’s a strategy game. It’s not being talented only, you have to use strategy.”
Werdum is scheduled to challenge heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez on Nov. 15 in Mexico City, and Gracie won’t make a prediction on the fight.
“Werdum is good, is a smart fighter. He knows how to set up a beautiful strategy. He’s showed that already,” Gracie said. “But that’s only one way to find out if here’s going to win: getting inside the Octagon and fighting.”
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Anderson Silva has fought the who’s who of the middleweight division, and he believes one of his former opponents might be the one to dethrone current UFC 185-pound champion Chris Weidman.
Weidman, who stopped Silva twice in 2013, is expected to defend the middleweight belt in February against former light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort, and Silva sees “The Phenom” as a big challenge for “All American.”
“In my opinion, Vitor is the most complete fighter at 185 pounds,” Silva told the Brazilian media in a press conference in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday. “The most explosive, with the best boxing, good jiu-jitsu and wrestling. Weidman is young, (part of) the new generation, and is coming strong. It’s a fight everybody wants to see. I will root for Vitor to win, obviously.”
“When I had the title, I always said that the title was ours. Being in Brazil, it’s all right,” he added. “When you have two Brazilians fighting for the title, it’s because we’re good at what we do. I will root for Vitor.”
Set to take on Nick Diaz on Jan. 31 in Las Vegas, Silva gave conflicting answers about fighting for the UFC title again on different occasions. At first, the Brazilian wasn’t interested in fighting Weidman again, or even fight for the title. Months later, he said he wouldn’t retire after competing for the UFC gold at least one more time.
During the recent press conference, Silva clarified that he wants the middleweight title, but won’t jump the line ahead of his teammates.
“No, I haven’t changed my mind,” he explained. “In my team, we have ‘Jacare’ (Souza). At Black House, we have Lyoto (Machida) and Khalil (Rountree), who’s coming now and has all the weapons to fight for the title (one day). I’ve been through this before and I have to respect (them). Jacare has been doing a great job and he has my full support to fight for the title. He’s working to make this happen.”
As for fighting for the title again, Silva would only do it if the champion isn’t one of his teammates — and he’s open to fighting Weidman a third time, even if the title isn’t on the line.
“I wouldn’t fight Jacare, who is a friend, a brother, and I know how much he works and wants this. He earned it,” he said. “If I have to fight Weidman one day, I will do it. A fight is a fight, but I won’t call anybody out.”
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Anderson Silva has fought the who’s who of the middleweight division, and he believes one of his former opponents might be the one to dethrone current UFC 185-pound champion Chris Weidman.
Weidman, who stopped Silva twice in 2013, is expected to defend the middleweight belt in February against former light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort, and Silva sees “The Phenom” as a big challenge for “All American.”
“In my opinion, Vitor is the most complete fighter at 185 pounds,” Silva told the Brazilian media in a press conference in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday. “The most explosive, with the best boxing, good jiu-jitsu and wrestling. Weidman is young, (part of) the new generation, and is coming strong. It’s a fight everybody wants to see. I will root for Vitor to win, obviously.”
“When I had the title, I always said that the title was ours. Being in Brazil, it’s all right,” he added. “When you have two Brazilians fighting for the title, it’s because we’re good at what we do. I will root for Vitor.”
Set to take on Nick Diaz on Jan. 31 in Las Vegas, Silva gave conflicting answers about fighting for the UFC title again on different occasions. At first, the Brazilian wasn’t interested in fighting Weidman again, or even fight for the title. Months later, he said he wouldn’t retire after competing for the UFC gold at least one more time.
During the recent press conference, Silva clarified that he wants the middleweight title, but won’t jump the line ahead of his teammates.
“No, I haven’t changed my mind,” he explained. “In my team, we have ‘Jacare’ (Souza). At Black House, we have Lyoto (Machida) and Khalil (Rountree), who’s coming now and has all the weapons to fight for the title (one day). I’ve been through this before and I have to respect (them). Jacare has been doing a great job and he has my full support to fight for the title. He’s working to make this happen.”
As for fighting for the title again, Silva would only do it if the champion isn’t one of his teammates — and he’s open to fighting Weidman a third time, even if the title isn’t on the line.
“I wouldn’t fight Jacare, who is a friend, a brother, and I know how much he works and wants this. He earned it,” he said. “If I have to fight Weidman one day, I will do it. A fight is a fight, but I won’t call anybody out.”
