Tag: Fabricio Werdum

Ex-UFC Champ Fabricio Werdum’s Health in Question Amid Fears of CTE and Brain Injuries

Fabricio Werdum UFC champion CTEFabricio Werdum has shared some startling news, and as the UFC antitrust lawsuit continues to play out, more and…

Fabricio Werdum UFC champion CTE

Fabricio Werdum has shared some startling news, and as the UFC antitrust lawsuit continues to play out, more and more haunting facts and information are getting thrusted into the limelight, including details shared by Werdum about his signs of CTE and traumatic brain injury (aka TBI).

Werdum enjoyed a short reign as UFC heavyweight champion back in 2015 after a third-round submission victory over Cain Velasquez. From there, things went downhill for the Brazilian fighter. In his next match, he was knocked out by Stipe Miocic. After this, he was never able to replicate his former success inside the UFC octagon, and he took no shortage of head trauma in ensuing fights.

Overall, Fabricio Werdum has been knocked out three times in his career, with each knockout occurring in fights under the UFC. In total, he has fought 29 battles and surely suffered innumerable shots to the head during these fights and the training for them.

Fabricio Werdum opens up about Traumatic brain Injuries and CTE suffered during his time with the UFC

In screenshots shared by a journalist working on the case named John S. Nash, Fabricio Werdum took the time to comment on the effects that his mixed martial arts career has had on his brain.

“While fighting for the UFC, I suffered many concussions,” Werdum began (H/T Sportskeeda). “I fear that during my career, I have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and am noticing symptoms common with TBI and CTE, including irritability, anger, anxiety, insomnia, and memory loss. I have many lesions and scarring in my brain, and I have a cyst that is located centrally within my brain, making surgery thus far impossible.”

In addition to Werdum, many other former fighters have also come forward to share their experiences. Many list the same issues, which include TBI and CTE, as well as a litany of healthcare costs and problems that the settlement money would help them with.

What are your thoughts on the injuries sustained by the fighters?

Former UFC foes Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum face off ahead of bare knuckle MMA fight

dos SantosOn Friday night, fight fans will be treated to a rematch 15 years in the making as ex-UFC champions Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum put down the four-ounce gloves and go toe-to-toe at Gamebred Bareknuckle 5. Emanating from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, Jorge Masvidal’s promotion will offer fans a heavyweight […]

dos Santos

On Friday night, fight fans will be treated to a rematch 15 years in the making as ex-UFC champions Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum put down the four-ounce gloves and go toe-to-toe at Gamebred Bareknuckle 5.

Emanating from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, Jorge Masvidal’s promotion will offer fans a heavyweight clash between two legends of the sport. Junior dos Santos (21-10-0) will make his first appearance in the cage since suffering his fifth-straight loss at the hands of Yorgan De Castro under the Eagle FC banner more than a year ago. Meeting him will be submission specialist and fellow former UFC heavyweight world champion, Fabricio Werdum (24-9-1).

Ahead of their main event clash in the Sunshine State, Junior dos Santo and Fabricio Werdum went face-to-face at the official Gamebread Bareknuckle weigh-ins on Thursday.

Junior dos Santos is Ready to Start a New Chapter in His Career

The two heavyweight icons first met at UFC 90 in what was Junior dos Santos’ promotional debut. As a result, ‘Cigano’ entered the bout as a significant underdog, but he only needed 80 seconds to prove the oddsmakers wrong, scoring a highlight-reel-worthy KO against Werdum that earned him Knockout of the Night and Upset of the Year honors.

“I don’t think of this as a rematch because so much is different today,” Dos Santos said during the weigh-in ceremony. “The main thing hasn’t changed though, it’s still his grappling against my striking. My motivation is to go in there and show the world the best of me. When I do that, I’ll walk away with a win. I built who I am through a lot of hard work and sacrifice. That’s why I’m privileged to be in this position again. I just love to fight and now that I’m doing a new thing in bare-knuckle, it’s gonna be very fun.”

Having his turn on the microphone, Fabricio Werdum suggested that a bare-knuckle fight would give him a decided advantage over the heavy-hitting Brazilian on Friday night.

“I don’t think about the past, I just think about today,” Werdum added. “My moment is now and I don’t think about what’s come before. No gloves will help my grip and with my grappling. I think it might be a little bit of an advantage for me. I’m very comfortable with no gloves. I think it’s only a small difference for me to be bare-knuckle because MMA gloves are small. I train a lot of the time with no gloves in the gym anyway. I’m really excited to have this bare-knuckle fight for the first time,” (h/t MMA Mania).

Gamebred Bareknuckle 5: Dos Santos vs. Werdum will air live and for free on the Gamebred YouTube channel starting at 7 p.m. EST.

Ex-UFC champion Junior dos Santos looks absolutely shredded ahead of bare knuckle MMA debut

Junior dos SantosFormer UFC heavyweight world champion Junior dos Santos looks to be in the best shape of his life ahead of his highly anticipated bare-knuckle MMA debut. On September 8, ‘Cigano’ is scheduled to compete under the Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA banner against another former UFC titleholder, Fabricio Werdum. It will be the first time in his […]

Junior dos Santos

Former UFC heavyweight world champion Junior dos Santos looks to be in the best shape of his life ahead of his highly anticipated bare-knuckle MMA debut.

On September 8, ‘Cigano’ is scheduled to compete under the Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA banner against another former UFC titleholder, Fabricio Werdum. It will be the first time in his 17-year-long career that JDS will leave his four-ounce gloves at home and go bare-fisted inside the cage.

Ahead of his return, Junior dos Santos looks to be in impeccable shape, as noted by MMA journalist Drake Riggs who shared a series of images featuring JDS looking absolutely jacked ahead of his return to competition.

“Junior dos Santos looks like he found the fountain of youth ahead of his Gamebred Bareknuckle debut rematch against Fabricio Werdum on Sept. 8,” Riggs wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Junior dos Santos Looks to Snap Five-Fight Losing Skid

His bare-knuckle scrap with Werdum will be the first time Junior dos Santos has stepped inside the cage since suffering a shoulder injury during the third round of his clash with Yorgan de Castro at Eagle FC 47 last year. The bout was his fifth-straight loss dating back to 2019 when a four-fight losing streak under the UFC banner resulted in his release from the promotion. To be fair, those four losses came against some absolute killers, including Francis Ngannou, Curtis Blaydes, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Ciryl Gane.

JDS’ opponent, Fabricio Werdum, returns to the cage following a very brief stint with the Professional Fighters League. Signing on to compete in the 2021 regular season, Werdum initially lost his first bout inside the Smart Cage against Renan Ferreira via TKO, but the ruling was later overturned after instant replay clearly revealed that Ferreira tapped out to a triangle choke before turning the tables and pummeling Werdum with a serious of ground-and-pound strikes.

Werdum was expected to return a month later, but he was unable to get medical clearance. He has since parted ways with the PFL and will now make his bare-knuckle MMA debut against Junior dos Santos next month.

Junior dos Santos vs. Fabricio Werdum rematch headlines Gamebred Bareknuckle 5 on September 8

Junior dos SantosNearly 15 years removed from their first meeting inside the Octagon, Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum will run back their UFC 90 scrap. But this time, they’ll leave the gloves at home. As reported by renowned combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani on Twitter, the two former UFC heavyweight world champions will square off in […]

Junior dos Santos

Nearly 15 years removed from their first meeting inside the Octagon, Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum will run back their UFC 90 scrap. But this time, they’ll leave the gloves at home.

As reported by renowned combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani on Twitter, the two former UFC heavyweight world champions will square off in a bare-knuckle MMA bout under Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA banner on September 8. Emanating from the VyStar Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, the two heavyweight icons are expected to headline the event which will also feature Renan Barao vs. Sean Soriano and Brandon Jenkins vs. Anthony Njokuani

The Careers of Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum Have Taken Very Similar Paths in Recent Years

Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum are two of the most accomplished heavyweight fighters in mixed martial arts history. Their bout at UFC 90 ended just 80 seconds into the contest with JDS scoring a first-round knockout. The victory came in the early going of an incredible 10-fight win streak for dos Santos that ultimately led to him capturing the UFC heavyweight title in November 2011. His title run was short-lived, defending the crown against Frank Mir before handing it back to the same man he took it from, Cain Velasquez.

Like JDS, Fabricio Werdum captured the heavyweight title with a win over Velasquez at UFC 188. He would go on to lose the title less than a year later against the general consensus heavyweight GOAT, Stipe Miocic.

Both men have only competed once since exiting the UFC in 2020. Werdum competed in one fight under the PFL banner while Junior dos Santos fought in Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Eagle FC. JDS squared off with fellow UFC vet Yorgan De Castro in May 2022 and suffered a shoulder injury seconds into the third round, forcing a stoppage. It was dos Santos’ fifth-straight loss via TKO.

Fabricio Werdum offers to fight fellow ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou under PFL banner this year

Fabricio Werdum offers to fight Francis Ngannou under PLF banner this yearFormer UFC heavyweight champion, Fabricio Werdum has offered to fight fellow former division kingpin, Francis Ngannou in a potential move to the PFL (Professional Fighters League) for the Cameroonian knockout artist. Werdum, a former undisputed heavyweight champion under the banner of the UFC, first landed interim divisional gold with a flying knee knockout win over […]

Fabricio Werdum offers to fight Francis Ngannou under PLF banner this year

Former UFC heavyweight champion, Fabricio Werdum has offered to fight fellow former division kingpin, Francis Ngannou in a potential move to the PFL (Professional Fighters League) for the Cameroonian knockout artist.

Werdum, a former undisputed heavyweight champion under the banner of the UFC, first landed interim divisional gold with a flying knee knockout win over Mark Hunt in 2014, before ending the impressive reign of former champion, Cain Velasquez the following year at UFC 188 with a submission win in the pair’s title unification bout.

Francis Ngannou receives PFL fight offer from ex-champion, Fabricio Werdum

Departing the Octagon while holding the #14 rank in the official heavyweight pile, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace, Fabricio Werdum most recently defeated former light heavyweight title challenger, Alexander Gustafsson with a first round armbar in July 2020, before moving to the PFL two years later.

Debuting in the promotion in an eventual official ‘No Contest’ against compatriot, Renen Ferreira, Werdum has since been linked with a return to the PFL later this year, and has now offered to fight Batié heavyweight knockout ace, Ngannou to boot.

“Hi @Francis_Ngannou I shock the world when i beat Fedor also when I beat Cain,” Fabricio Werdum tweeted. “And I become undisputed UFC heavyweight champion. You have a lot of hole in your game. Let’s go. @PFLMMA @DonnDavisPFL @PeteMurrayPFL only one way to find out PFL smart cage.” 

Yet to pen terms on a new contract amid his UFC exit back in January of this year, Ngannou assured his fans and followers that “everything is under control” regarding his uncertain future in the sport, however, has yet to feature since he defeated Ciryl Gane in a unanimous decision victory back in January of last year at UFC 270 in Anaheim, California. 

Ngannou managed to land his UFC title back in March 2021, taking out former champion and common-foe, Stipe Miocic with a second round knockout in the pair’s championship rematch. 

Archives: Cain Velasquez Could Be Stripped Of UFC HW Championship (2014)

The UFC President says Werdum-Hunt winner could be new UFC champ if Velasquez isn’t back by early 2015.
Continue Reading Archives: Cain Velasquez Could Be Stripped Of UFC HW Championship (2014) at MMA News.

The UFC President says Werdum-Hunt winner could be new UFC champ if Velasquez isn’t back by early 2015.

Continue Reading Archives: Cain Velasquez Could Be Stripped Of UFC HW Championship (2014) at MMA News.