Velasquez vs. Werdum: Latest Comments, Weigh-in Info and Predictions for UFC 188

The weigh-ins for UFC 188 in Mexico went over without a hitch—except for one unfortunate incident. Andrew Todhunter and Albert Tumenov’s bout was scrapped after the former passed out during his weight cut, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports.
Todhunte…

The weigh-ins for UFC 188 in Mexico went over without a hitch—except for one unfortunate incident. Andrew Todhunter and Albert Tumenov’s bout was scrapped after the former passed out during his weight cut, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports.

Todhunter would have made his UFC debut, but he was ruled medically ineligible after the incident. It happened too close to the event for the UFC to find a replacement, so the fight was removed from the card.

The rest of the bouts, including the main event, will take place as planned. Both Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum made weight. Velasquez is returning to the Octagon after nearly two years off because of injuries. Werdum is the interim champion, having won the strap against Mark Hunt in November 2014—a fight that was supposed to be against Velasquez for the title, reported by Sherdog.

This fight is long overdue, and it’s one most MMA fans can’t wait to finally see happen. With the fighters weights on point, there’s nothing short of a freak accident that could cause another delay or cancellation.

Here’s a list of the weigh-in results for every fight on the revised card, per Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com. Weights are listed in pounds in parentheses:

 

Main Event: UFC Heavyweight Championship

  • Fabricio Werdum (236) vs. Cain Velasquez (242)

PPV Main Card

  • Eddie Alvarez (156) vs.. Gilbert Melendez (156)
  • Nate Marquardt (184) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (185)
  • Charles Rosa (145) vs. Yair Rodriguez (145)
  • Angela Hill (115) vs. Tecia Torres (114)

FX Prelims

  • Chico Camus (126) vs. Henry Cejudo (125)
  • Drew Dober (155) vs. Efrain Escudero (156)
  • Patrick Williams (136) vs. Alejandro Perez (136)
  • Johnny Case (155) vs. Francisco Trevino (154)

UFC Fight Pass Early Prelims

  • Cathal Pendred (170) vs. Augusto “Dodger” Montano (170)
  • Clay Collard (146) vs. Gabriel Benitez (145)

 

Predictions

 

Calm Staredown

Despite the bad blood that is seemingly building between Velasquez and Werdum, there were no fireworks during the staredown at the weigh-in. The two men kept their distance and didn’t force UFC president Dana White to keep them apart.

In the days leading up the fight, Werdum has taken shots at Velasquez’s heritage. Per BJPenn.com, the 37-year-old Brazilian said that Velasquez isn’t “Mexican, Mexican” because he wasn’t born in Mexico.

Velasquez didn’t appreciate the comments and has referred to Werdum as “two-faced,” per MMA Fighting:

Will this exchange result in a more aggressive Velasquez? It’s hard to tell, but that could be a bad tactic for the champion. Werdum loves to counter, and an agitated Velasquez could be falling into his trap. On Saturday, we’ll find out who deserves to be called the baddest man on the planet.

 

Cejudo and Gastelum Make Weight…Yes!

Henry Cejudo and Kelvin Gastelum are two of the more gifted fighters in their respective weight classes, but both men have had serious issues making weight in the past. That wasn’t the case this time around, as both men didn’t even need the extra pound that’s allowed to each fighter.

Tommy Hackett of Caged Insider was especially happy for the Mexican-American Cejudo as he prepares to perform in front of the Mexican fans:

Cejudo’s biggest impediment toward a successful trip to Mexico was the weight cut. He has Chico Camus overmatched in every facet of fighting. This bout should turn into a showcase for Cejudo and a precursor to a bout with UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.

Per his Twitter, Gastelum says he’s “on a mission.”

Without question, the first step toward accomplishing his goal is staying in shape consistently. Gastelum is doing that. He must now take care of business against veteran Nate Marquardt on Saturday. In good shape, Gastelum is a handful. Against a relatively one-dimensional grappler such as Marquardt, Gastelum should have the edge.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com