UFC 180 nearly played host to the most improbable UFC champion ever, but the key word is “nearly.” No. 1-ranked contender Fabricio Werdum had other plans.
No. 4-ranked Mark Hunt entered on short notice to replace champion Cain Velasquez, and the UFC put the interim title up for grabs. Hunt started strong by dropping Werdum, and Hunt even took him down. Hunt took the first round of the fight.
He started the second round strong as well, but Werdum landed a flying knee out of nowhere that dropped the Super Samoan.
Werdum pounced on the opportunity, got the stoppage and became the interim champion in the heavyweight division.
The Brazilian takes the crown and will seek his fight against Velasquez in 2015. With UFC 180 in the past, let’s take a peak at what we learned about the main event from Mexico City.
What We’ll Remember About Hunt vs. Werdum
No matter who won, I was prepared to say that what we’ll remember is Hunt’s incredible first round. It was astonishing and unexpected. But there is no way I can say that’s what we’ll remember following the finish in the second round.
Werdum’s flying knee from nowhere is what we’ll remember.
Werdum has progressed nicely on the feet. We say that most every time he fights now. He adds in techniques like the flying knee and spinning wheel kick, and they work. He will be a very significant test for Velasquez when the champion can return from injury.
What We Learned About Mark Hunt
We learned just how much he has improved on the ground.
There was some feeling about that after his fights with Stefan Struve and Roy Nelson, but neither of those two men truly challenged him on the mat; in this fight, we got that answer. Not only did Hunt stuff Werdum’s takedown attempts, but he survived in Werdum’s guard.
Werdum is the best submission artist in the heavyweight division, and for Hunt to survive there early in the first round speaks volumes to how much Hunt has improved on the canvas.
What We Learned About Fabricio Werdum
Werdum is never out of a fight.
Junior dos Santos plastered Werdum years ago, and that was in the back of our minds heading into this fight against Hunt. Could he take shots from heavy strikers and stay in the fight? The answer is yes.
Hunt nailed Werdum several times, but Werdum ate the shots and pushed on. It paid off. To put Werdum away on the feet, you better be sure to catch him on the button and hard.
What’s Next for Mark Hunt
Truthfully, this loss doesn’t effect Hunt much.
He made a show of it and looked the part of a serious contender. Yet a loss is a loss, and he’ll have to rebound against someone.
The winner of UFC 181’s matchup between Travis Browne and Brenden Schaub makes a lot of sense, and it would be a thrilling fight. I think that’s the best option for the UFC.
What’s Next for Fabricio Werdum
It’s Cain Velasquez.
The trouble is we don’t quite know when Velasquez will return. The expectation is early in 2015, but that is far from set in stone. What if Werdum has to defend his interim title once before Velasquez returns?
If that’s the case, then the winner of December’s Junior dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic fight is the clear favorite for the title shot. There are not a lot of top-ranked contenders, and there is a built-in storyline should Dos Santos come through with a win.
We should all hope Velasquez can return from injury sooner than later, but the UFC has a nice backup plan in place if Werdum has to defend the strap.
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