Undefeated records travel to the world of MMA to die.
Auras of invincibility routinely perish in this sport, disappearing in a flash of punches, kicks, elbows and submissions.
Yesterday’s “best ever” is today’s “overrated” is tomorrow’s “forgotten relic,” and so it goes.
At UFC 188 Saturday evening in Mexico City, Fabricio Werdum completed the circle of life in MMA, becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world by submitting former king Cain Velasquez via guillotine choke.
Werdum knows the cycle as well as anyone. In 2008, the current champ was cut from the UFC following a first-round knockout loss to Junior dos Santos at UFC 90. At that point, Werdum was a world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist who was still figuring out this little thing called striking, and dos Santos flattened him.
Poof. Werdum disappeared.
All his upside and all his potential vanished. He was just another could-have-been who would never put all the pieces together and succeed in this sport at the highest level. Some guys have it, others don’t.
As it turns out, though, Werdum had “it” then, and he has it now. He might even have it tomorrow. As the ultimate example in the fickle nature of invincibility, Werdum shocked the MMA universe in 2011 when he submitted Russian MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum via triangle choke in Round 1.
To that point, Emelianenko was 31-1 in his career with one no-contest, his lone loss coming via doctor’s stoppage. The man was as invincible as they come, and Werdum sent him tapping into the sunset in less than five minutes.
When Werdum challenged Velasquez at UFC 188, then, it should have come as a surprise to exactly no one when the Brazilian again cinched up a fight-ending choke against a more highly regarded opponent.
Velasquez was the heir apparent to Emelianenko‘s throne as the greatest heavyweight mixed martial artist of all time. With his cardio, power and pressure, nobody could stop him, and he was only getting better with time. Injuries slowed his ascent, but when he fought, there was no questioning his talent.
Until Saturday when Werdum questioned—and answered—it with authority, that is.
It’s crazy to think we need to be reminded of this fact in this sport. Massive upsets happen all the time, yet we seem to forget. Renan Barao, on his 32-fight undefeated streak, was untouchable as the UFC bantamweight champion. The division was shallow, and there was no threat in sight.
T.J. Dillashaw starched him at UFC 173.
Anderson Silva clowned and got knocked out, then he broke his leg in a rematch against Chris Weidman. He was entirely vincible—twice.
When Velasquez’s name and “unbeatable” started popping up in close proximity, we should’ve known better than to think such a conviction could actually hold true.
We needed a refresher, and Werdum provided it by placing Velasquez’s crown in the crook of his elbow and squeezing until it popped off.
Yesterday’s king is today’s second-guessed.
Werdum is the best heavyweight running right now, but he could suffer a knockout loss in his next outing.
In MMA, sustained perfection is just a little too much to ask.
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