Tag: Fabricio Werdum

MMA & BJJ legend Fabricio Werdum targets combat sports return, but in Boxing 

Fabricio WerdumFormer UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum is hinting at a potential comeback at 45 years old, but with larger gloves and a ring instead of an octagon. Although Werdum has publicly announced his MMA retirement, he is hungry to start a new venture in boxing.   Former UFC Heavyweight King Fabricio Werdum Talks About Stepping […]

Fabricio Werdum

Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum is hinting at a potential comeback at 45 years old, but with larger gloves and a ring instead of an octagon. Although Werdum has publicly announced his MMA retirement, he is hungry to start a new venture in boxing.  

Former UFC Heavyweight King Fabricio Werdum Talks About Stepping into the Ring Instead of the Octagon 

After conducting an interview with Combate, Werdum expressed his interest and commitment to building a career in boxing.  After spending quality time training with the Olympic Boxing team of Brazil, Werdum spoke on how the training experience was a unique and eye-opening chance to sharpen his skills in boxing.  

Werdum stated that: “It was a unique experience. I have never had an experience of training with professionals, the experience it all day long. I learned to move, the tricks in the right feeling, the feints. It was better than I expected. I worked hard, I dedicated myself. A month ago I was 122kg, now I am 113kg. I’m dedicating myself a lot.”

One burning question is who could Fabricio Werdum face in his first boxing match? He is 45 years old now and his last time competing in MMA was in May 2021. Time away and age are always major factors when competing in combat sports, but if anyone can find success it would be a champion on the level of Fabricio Werdum.

Who Could Fabricio Werdum Step into the Ring with for his Boxing Debut? 

During Werdum’s interview with Combate he discussed who he would like as an opponent. Without mentioning any names specifically Werdum said that: “I would like to fight a guy my age, from the same generation. Fighting a guy in his twenties isn’t my purpose, it’s a super fight. Even though I’m very young mentally, I haven’t broken anything, I haven’t had any serious injuries, (age) will make a difference. If I can choose between someone from MMA or boxing, I’ll choose someone from MMA, who’s coming from the same sport as me.”  

Being very conscious of his age, Werdum is taking a very smart and strategic approach to starting his boxing career. There are many potential matches that the MMA legend can accept, but for someone with a career as memorable as Werdum’s, he deserves not only a name that will earn him a pay-day that’s well deserved, but also an opponent that will make him work hard to show everyone how serious and dedicated he is to the sport of boxing.  

This is a great opportunity for the former heavyweight king Fabricio Werdum to show everyone that he is an elite fighter in every aspect of fighting, but also for someone as competitive as he is to stay competing in combat sports.  

Do you think Fabricio Werdum can find success in Boxing the way he did in MMA? 

Fabricio Werdum Says He’s Shifting 100% Of His Attention To Boxing

Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum isn’t ruling out a future return to MMA but is lending his full attention to a move to boxing. Werdum last competed in the PFL last year, but his league debut ended up being overturned to a no-contest after a possible tap from Renan Ferreira that went unnoticed. He…

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Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum isn’t ruling out a future return to MMA but is lending his full attention to a move to boxing.

Werdum last competed in the PFL last year, but his league debut ended up being overturned to a no-contest after a possible tap from Renan Ferreira that went unnoticed. He withdrew from his second scheduled fight against Brandon Sayles after failing to get medical clearance.

After recently alluding to a return to the PFL and postponing his previously alluded retirement, Werdum is now open to a move to the ring. During a recent virtual press conference with Brazilian reporters, he was asked whether or not he was retired from MMA and what his next career venture is.

“I don’t like the word ‘retired’ or ‘stopped fighting,’” Werdum said. “For us, fighters, it’s very hard to stop doing what you love. I’ll completely change my focus.

“When I set out to become jiu-jitsu champion, I did it – in the UFC, I also did it,” Werdum continued. “I don’t have that title in boxing, and I want to dedicate 100 percent to boxing because I want that title. I was champion in everything, except boxing. I never competed in boxing, and I want to add another belt on the wall.

“I didn’t stop fighting [MMA] – I just changed my focus completely. I will focus 100 percent on boxing, but I won’t stop fighting MMA to focus on boxing.” (h/t MMA Fighting)

Werdum is considered by many to be one of the most accomplished heavyweights in the history of MMA. He has earned wins over the likes of Cain Velasquez, Fedor Emelianenko, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira during his illustrious career.

Werdum is looking to become the latest former UFC standout to make the successful move to the boxing ring. Former UFC champions Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort have earned recent wins since making the full-time move to boxing.

At 44 years old, Werdum is looking for a new challenge in his combat sports career and seems set on making his boxing debut later this year.

How do you think Fabricio Werdum will do in boxing?

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Fabricio Werdum Opts Against Retirement, Eyes 2022 PFL Return

Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum has decided against calling it quits after reports of his absence from the 2022 PFL season. Werdum hasn’t fought since his controversial loss to Renan Ferreira in his PFL debut that was later overturned to a no-contest. This after Ferreira appeared to tap to a submission from Werdum, the…

Continue Reading Fabricio Werdum Opts Against Retirement, Eyes 2022 PFL Return at MMA News.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum has decided against calling it quits after reports of his absence from the 2022 PFL season.

Werdum hasn’t fought since his controversial loss to Renan Ferreira in his PFL debut that was later overturned to a no-contest. This after Ferreira appeared to tap to a submission from Werdum, the fight wasn’t stopped and Ferreira earned a knockout just seconds later.

Werdum signed with the PFL after the UFC opted not to re-sign him following a win over Alexander Gustafsson in July 2020. He was slated to face Brandon Sayles for his second PFL bout last June but was unable to get medical clearance.

During a recent interview with Ag.Fight, Werdum teased a potential retirement from MMA after a long career in the cage.

“It’s a bit complicated to say that to a fighter after 24 years of fighting,” Werdum said. “Even my wife keeps telling me to say I’m retired, that I’m done. I tell her I won’t say it. … But talking about MMA, I think it’s hard for me to come back because it’s more dedication, staying two, three months in the United States, and I’m living in Brazil for a year and three months now. If there’s a boxing match, I’d do it. … To sum it up: boxing, yes. MMA, no. It would need to be an out-of-this-world offer to make me stop doing what I’ve been doing right now.” (h/t MMA Fighting)

Now, as first reported by Sherdog, Werdum has decided that he would like to compete for the PFL in 2022 and has asked to make his return in June.

Werdum earned the UFC heavyweight title by submitting Cain Velasquez in June 2015. He would go on to lose the belt in his first title defense via a first-round knockout to Stipe Miocic.

MMA News will keep you posted on who Werdum is pitted against should he get his wish of returning to competition in June.

Continue Reading Fabricio Werdum Opts Against Retirement, Eyes 2022 PFL Return at MMA News.

Former UFC Champion Fabricio Werdum Undecided On PFL Future

Fabricio Werdum is unsure of his future in mixed martial arts. 

After eight years with the promotion, the UFC and Farbicio Werdum parted ways in 2020.  “Vai Cavalo” chose not to re-sign with the company and instead opted to fight for the …

Fabricio Werdum

Fabricio Werdum is unsure of his future in mixed martial arts. 

After eight years with the promotion, the UFC and Farbicio Werdum parted ways in 2020.  “Vai Cavalo” chose not to re-sign with the company and instead opted to fight for the PFL. But before he signs up for another season with the promotion, Werdum wants to revise his contract.

“I need to make a decision still,” Werdum told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I need to speak to my wife first because she wants me to stop (fighting). I’m 44 years old, so she wants me to stop and we’re doing well in Brazil and running a lot of things.”

Werdum partook in one bout under the PFL banner. The fight was originally ruled a TKO loss for the former champion, and was eventually overturned after the State Athletic commission ruled that Werdum’s opponent, Renan Ferriea, tapped while in a triangle choke. The tap prompted Werdum to release the hold, which allowed his opponent to rain down blows.

Fabricio Werdum, Fedor
Fabricio Werdum works a triangle choke on Fedor Emelianenko AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

A Life Outside of Fighting

At 44-years-old, Werdum needs to make sure it’s worth the risk to his health to continue fighting in a cage. At this point in his career, he has too many ventures outside of being punched in the face for a living.

“So I have the meat business, I also have a clothing brand – Werdum Sports – I have the YouTube channel, and I’m an ambassador for PFL here in Brazil,” Werdum said. “So I have a lot of things going on. It needs to be worth it for me to stop everything and go fight again because I would need to go back to the U.S. because my team is in Los Angeles in Kings MMA.

“I can train here and start the training camp, but I would need to leave my family and go back to the U.S. to do the actual camp. I don’t want to think about the money only, I need to have all my focus on winning. So I don’t know if it’ll be worth it now that I’m 44 years old. That needs to be decided. I need to speak to PFL and see if we come to an agreement, so I can fight again.”

With nearly twenty years in the game, one would have to assume that Werdum is nearing the end of his illustrious career. Before his run in the UFC, Werdum was as star in Japan under the PRIDE banner. He later went on to become the first man to beat Fedor Emelienko in over a decade when they clashed in Strikeforce in 2010.

Continue Reading Former UFC Champion Fabricio Werdum Undecided On PFL Future at MMA News.

[ARCHIVES] Covington Compares Critics to ‘Adolf Hitler & the Nazis’

[MMA NEWS ARCHIVES]

UFC 268 headliner Colby Covington has become known for integrating politics into his athletic career, and this includes invoking the name of Adolf Hitler to describe his critics four years ago. The following article is published in…

Colby Covington

[MMA NEWS ARCHIVES]

UFC 268 headliner Colby Covington has become known for integrating politics into his athletic career, and this includes invoking the name of Adolf Hitler to describe his critics four years ago. The following article is published in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News archives.

[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 20, 2017, 3:37 PM] 

Colby Covington believes that those criticizing his decision to press charges on former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum are promoting ‘fascist’ ideals

Following an altercation between the outspoken UFC welterweight contender and the Brazilian heavyweight, charges were brought against Werdum.

Covington, who has been relishing his role as an outspoken villain of late, allegedly received a lot of criticism for his decision to ‘snitch’ on his fellow fighter following the skirmish. According to “Chaos”, those who have reacted negatively to him going to the Police in Sydney as a result of the encounter are no better than the infamous Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

Covington made the eye-brow raising comments while discussing the incident with Ariel Helwani on Monday’s episode of the MMA Hour:

“He [Werdum] was screaming these anti-gay slurs, shouting ‘I’m going to kill you’,” Colby claimed, despite being called out by some for his own use of homophobic slurs aimed towards Werdum. He threw it [a boomerang] and luckily I mostly dodged it because I have impeccable reflexes. They use boomerangs in Australia to hunt kangaroos, people are saying it isn’t a weapon – it is a weapon.

“All these people in the world saying ‘Oh, he’s a snitch, he went to the cops’. Yeah, you know you’re condoning violence because of free speech. You know what that’s called, Ariel? That’s called fascism. You know who else believed in fascism? Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.”

Australians have recently voted in favor of passing a bill legalizing marriage between same-sex couples, which made the homophobic remarks aimed at Werdum even more inappropriate. Covington acknowledged this, expressing regret for his use of slurs which may have caused offense to the LGBT community before making a joke claiming that he is against marriage in general and not just gay marriage:

“After that my head was messed up, I regret anything I said because I was a little concussed. He hit me in the face. I have no ill will towards the LGBT community. No disrespect to them, I believe marriage as a whole is a mistake, but that’s a whole other story.”

Continue Reading [ARCHIVES] Covington Compares Critics to ‘Adolf Hitler & the Nazis’ at MMA News.

Fabricio Werdum Claims He Killed Fedor’s GOAT Argument

Fabricio Werdum claims he killed the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) argument when he defeated Fedor Emelianenko. MMA legend Emelianenko is set to return to MMA on Bellator’s debuting event in Russia. His return has made headlines and sparked interes…

Fabricio Werdum claims he killed the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) argument when he defeated Fedor Emelianenko. MMA legend Emelianenko is set to return to MMA on Bellator’s debuting event in Russia. His return has made headlines and sparked interest in many different fighters who have thrown their name into the hat for a potential […]

Continue Reading Fabricio Werdum Claims He Killed Fedor’s GOAT Argument at MMA News.