Fabricio Werdum has endured the frustration of seeing his last two scheduled fights scrapped due to both opponents being pulled.
The former UFC heavyweight champion of the world saw a realistic title-eliminator fight against Cain Velasquez canned at UFC 207, due to Velasquez’s failure to obtain a licence to fight by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Ben Rothwell’s recent suspension by USADA for a potential UFC anti-doping policy violation means that, for the second fight in a row, Werdum’s hopes have been shattered. Although there are a number of potential candidates at heavyweight for the ex-champion to fight, the one that makes most sense to the Brazilian is the man he fought at both Strikeforce and Pride FC: Alistair Overeem. “Vai Cavalo” expressed his desire to meet the Dutchman for a trilogy fight to Ariel Helwani recently:
“I was very excited for the next fight, the May 13, but it happened to Ben Rothwell that USADA got to him,” . “I don’t know what happened to him, but it’s very bad because he talked a lot of shit before, and I was just waiting for the fight. Now, again, I have a lot of fights canceled, the last fight against Cain Velasquez, and now I’m just waiting for the next one. I think the next one is Overeem or Cain Velasquez, you know, probably in July.”
“I like both rematches, they both get me the title shot. I finished Overeem in 2006 in Pride FC with the kimura, and he beat me in Strikeforce, the only one time I’ve been overtrained. Funny thing, in Dallas [Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum] this time I’m waiting for the doping test and I said, ‘hey, man. I want to do the doping test so I can start the warm up,’ and they guy said, ‘No, no, no. You don’t have anything. You okay, you okay. We don’t have test here,’ and I said, ‘what!’, and Overeem was too big, he was like 100 kilos. Now, it’s one, one and I think it’s a good rematch, you know, the number three. So I’m thinking Overeem because I saw Cain Velasquez say he needed more time for recovery, again, so I think Overeem is okay for me.”
Although a trilogy fight is a distinct possibility for Werdum, he has not yet discounted a possible scenario where he can step in due to a potential injury sustained by either Stipe Miocic or Junior dos Santos prior to UFC 211:
“I started my camp because maybe, you know, last year I had a lot of injuries in my camp, so maybe – I don’t wan’t an injury to happen to Stipe Miocic or ‘Cigano’, for sure not – but it happens,” Werdum explained. “So I’m waiting for the fight, I’ll be there for sure to watch the fight, and if they call me, I’ll be ready for this fight.”
