Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum will make his return to MMA as part of the PFL 3 regular season event on Thurs. night (May 6, 2021) in Atlantic City, taking on Brazilian Sasquatch Renan Ferreira.
“Problema” is fighting out of Team Nogueira, a familiar name to Werdum after splitting a pair of fights with “Minotauro” in both PRIDE and UFC. But “Vai Cavalo” doesn’t expect their past rivalry to carry over to PFL 3.
“I love Nogueira,” Werdum told MMA Fighting. “I fought with him two times in Japan in PRIDE. This is my good friend today. I love him. He’s amazing. Everyone loves him in Brazil, too, and it’s just professional. I like what you say, I don’t have to say bad things about my opponent. Why? I have to show inside the cage, inside the Octagon, there I have to show a good fight, an exciting fight. I don’t have to say nothing about him. If he says bad things about me, for sure, I’ll respond. But if he don’t say nothing, I say nothing, just a good fight and that’s it.”
Werdum (24-9-1) has not competed since scoring a submission win over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC on ESPN 14 last summer. As for Ferreira (6-2), he was last seen strangling UFC “Mountain” Jared Vanderaa on the regional circuit back in Aug. 2019.
Also competing at PFL 3 is reigning women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison (8-0), who like the headlining heavyweights, will be searching for the 2021 title — and $1 million dollar payout — when she collides with Sao Paulo slugger Mariana Morais (16-10).
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