Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum Rescheduled for UFC 188 in June

Assuming the principles stay healthy this time, a UFC heavyweight title bout is now set for June in Mexico. Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum will be fighting in a title-unification bout.
The UFC announced Monday that Velasquez vs. Werdum had been sch…

Assuming the principles stay healthy this time, a UFC heavyweight title bout is now set for June in Mexico. Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum will be fighting in a title-unification bout.

The UFC announced Monday that Velasquez vs. Werdum had been scheduled for UFC 188, set to take place June 13 in Mexico City. It marks the cage return of lineal champion Velasquez, who scuttled the original date last November because of a knee injury, and Werdum, who captured the interim title at UFC 180 over Velasquez’s late replacement, Mark Hunt.

The news was first reported in the media by MMAFighting.com. 

 

 

When he can stay healthy, Velasquez (15-1) is one of the most dominant champions in MMA. He brings a difficult and punishing style of pressure, punches in space and in the clinch, takedowns and ground-and-pound to chew through opponents and break them spiritually.

But Werdum (19-5-1) is more than just a seat warmer for Velasquez. A world-class jiu-jitsu practitioner, the Brazilian has lately improved his muay thai to become a better all-round fighter at the elite UFC levels. He has won all five of his fights since rejoining the UFC in 2012. Two of those wins came by knockout, while another came by submission and two by decision.

Both men are popular among fight fans, but Velasquez is a sort of folk hero in Mexico. The Mexican-American son of farm workers, Velasquez’s steely-eyed American success story and fierce pride over his heritage make him a favorite in America’s neighbor to the south.

Last November did not mark the first injury layoff for the 32-year-old Velasquez. Because of knee and shoulder problems, this will only be Velasquez’s sixth fight in the past four years. As the time to UFC 188 draws nearer, Velasquez’s health will become an area of close scrutiny. 

But assuming he can, indeed, stay healthy, Velasquez will likely be a clear favorite as fight night approaches.

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