More than 19 months since he last appeared inside the Octagon, Cain Velasquez will return to competition against Fabricio Werdum at UFC 188 on Saturday night.
The last time we saw Velasquez, he retained his undisputed heavyweight championship with a late stoppage win over rival Junior dos Santos. With that victory, Velasquez took the lead in a trilogy with one of the top contenders in the division and closed a chapter in his career.
Unfortunately, injuries have prevented him from starting his next chapter. Also, because he was inactive for so long, the UFC awarded an interim title to Werdum after his win over Mark Hunt at UFC 180.
Rather than having him defend his belt, the UFC had Werdum wait on Velasquez’s return. So, Vai Cavalo has also been inactive for seven months.
As a highly anticipated heavyweight championship bout, Velasquez vs. Werdum will headline UFC 188. Here is some more information on the fight card and a closer look at the main event.
When: Saturday, June 13
Time: Fight Pass Prelims at 7 p.m. ET, FX Prelims at 8 p.m. ET, Main Card at 10 p.m. ET
Where: Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico
Live Stream: UFC.TV
With only one loss in 14 career appearances, Velasquez might be the most well-rounded competitor in the heavyweight division. His wrestling has always been a strength, but the champion can also win with high-volume striking because he has such outstanding conditioning for a fighter in this weight class.
Once viewed as a one-dimensional grappler, Werdum has also become a threat in all areas under the guidance of Rafael Cordeiro. With a knockout win over Hunt in his latest outing, Werdum showed that he can be dangerous when standing with any opponent.
Because both fighters are so great in all areas, it’s tough to say with certainty where this bout with take place on Saturday. What does seem certain, however, is Velasquez’s ability to decide where it does go with his superior wrestling.
He has the striking and defensive wrestling to avoid Werdum’s world-glass submission game and win without going to the ground. If the action does remain on the feet, Velasquez also has the power to stop Werdum and the conditioning to win a fast-paced striking bout lasting five rounds.
That said, should Werdum catch Velasquez and hurt him, the American Kickboxing Academy product can lean on his wrestling to get out of a bad situation.
Going to the canvas with Werdum would be a death sentence for most fighters, but Velasquez hasn’t shown any defensive grappling weaknesses. While he hasn’t met an opponent like Werdum, Velasquez has never been submitted and has the ground-and-pound to keep Vai Cavalo worried about defending rather than looking for an opening to lock up a submission.
At the end of the night, there will be only one heavyweight champion. Despite another long break in competition, Velasquez will stand tall as the undisputed heavyweight king once again.
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