Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum will make his long-awaited Octagon return against Alexey Oleynik.
A report from Combate confirms Werdum will meet Oleynik at UFC 250 on May 9 from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Werdum is currently serving a two-year suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that was handed down in 2018. However, Werdum was recently granted a 10-month reduction in his suspension and will be reinstated on April 1. Werdum hasn’t competed since March of 2018 when he was knocked out by Alexander Volkov.
The loss ended a two-fight win streak for the Brazilian, who later tested positive for the banned substance, trenbolone, and its metabolite, epitrenbolone, in an out-of-competition drug test. As for Oleynik, he ended a two-fight losing streak at UFC 246 when he submitted Maurice Greene in their heavyweight clash. After the win, Werdum actually took to Twitter to voice his desire for a fight with Oleynik.
“Congratulations @oleynikufc all my respect for you BUT I think my JiuJitsu it’s better, let’s dance you can be my special guest for my return in the UFC”
This is quite the matchup, as both Werdum and Oleynik are skilled grapplers that can submit their opponents from anywhere. If this fight finds its way to the ground, it will certainly be a sight to see.
What do you think about the matchup between Werdum and Oleynik?