Fabricio Werdum vs. Mark Hunt isn’t the heavyweight title fight fans in Mexico thought they would see, but it could still deliver as an exciting main event. The UFC makes it way to Mexico City, Mexico, on Saturday, and it’s the first time in history the promotion has held an event in the country.
Cain Velasquez was originally scheduled to defend his UFC heavyweight title against Werdum, but injuries to his knee forced him out. Hunt stepped up in his place, and due to Velasquez’s prolonged inactivity, this bout is now for the interim title.
On Thursday, UFC president Dana White indicated that the interim tag could be dropped from the title if Velasquez can’t compete by March. Per UFC.com, White said:
“We’re headed in that direction now. This next fight in Mexico is for the interim title. So if Cain couldn’t compete again, the winner of this fight would be seen as the champion.”
The Calm Before the Storm
With stakes high, you can bet the two veteran heavyweights will go all-out to win their first world titles. While the intensity in the cage might be palpable, both fighters have been loose leading up to the bout. Images from Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson and MMA Junkie imply these guys don’t exactly hate each other.
That said, Hunt is an animal, and Werdum is a professional MMA fighter in the most ruthless sense of the term. When Bruce Buffer says: “It’s time!!!!!” All of the smiles will be gone. If you doubt it, take a look at what Hunt said per Daniel Richardson of the NZ Herald and the UFC Tonight Twitter account:
White knows about Hunt’s massive KO power, and he wants to make sure he reminds all of his Twitter followers with this Super Samoan version of the classic video game Duck Hunt.
Time for Someone to Get Their Propers
Werdum has long been considered a top contender dating back to his days in Strikeforce and PRIDE, but as Damon Martin of Fox Sports mentions, he’s never had an opportunity to obtain championship glory.
Werdum was the first man to beat the great Fedor Emelianenko in 10 years, but the limelight seemed to escape him. Up until about three years ago, he was seen as a one-dimensional submissions artist, but that has changed.
Against Travis Browne back in April, Werdum showed off his vastly improved Muay-Thai skills and dismantled a man most thought to be his superior in the striking department. Werdum won by unanimous decision, landing 121 significant strikes to only 60 for Browne, per Fight Metric.
It’s because of that newfound skill that this bout with Hunt seems intriguing.
There’s no question, Werdum would be better off taking the fight to the ground, but his improved stand-up will come in handy as he attempts to transition the bout to the mat. Werdum is a high-level black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and widely considered the best grappler in the heavyweight division.
Here’s what Hunt thinks about Werdum’s black belts.
Hunt is one of those imperfect heavyweights who brings one weapon to the cage. He’s betting his punch will cancel out out all of the technicalities, and oftentimes he’s capable.
If the fight is exciting, it’s hard to imagine Werdum winning. Outside of Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, we’ve yet to see any fighter capable of trading with Hunt.
Werdum needs to be sound defensively. If he is, he should submit Hunt or earn a decision with smart and tactical striking. We shall see which fighter holds sway in Mexico on Saturday night.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.
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