Issue 121

November 2014

Will champ Cain emerge with the UFC heavyweight title at the head of Mexico’s MMA revolution, or can the worthy challenger claim sport’s biggest prize?

FC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is used to carrying the weight of heavy expectations. Ever since his Octagon debut as a 25-year-old with a two-fight record, the quiet Mexican-American has been talked about as one of the sport’s best big men.  

His true believers – wowed by his strong collegiate wrestling background and tales of his gym cardio and ferocity – had their high hopes vindicated in his ninth fight when he smashed Brock Lesnar to pieces for the title. The sixth first round finish of his now 13-1 career came at some cost though. Suffering a shoulder injury, Velasquez’ first title defense had to wait for over a year.

When it came, against Junior Dos Santos, the pressure was on. The first UFC event on Fox, it was widely seen as one of the most important clashes in MMA history. But Velasquez – and his most dangerous opponent to date, for that matter – really should have pulled out of the fight.  

Struggling with a knee injury, Velasquez was sensationally finished off in 64 seconds. But in his subsequent four fights, he has looked terrifying. Two first-round obliterations of Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva and over 48 minutes of punishing dominance in the Dos Santos rematches saw him reclaim and then emphatically defend his championship.

The expectations on the champ extend far beyond fight night. There’s a good reason why he and his Spanish-speaking challenger got their coaching roles on the first-ever season of TUF: Latin America and a headlining slot on the UFC’s historic Mexican debut event.  

A crowd (and TV audience) pleasing battle here should help open up a potentially huge and rabid Mexican combat sports fan base that has forever lacked a heavyweight boxing star. Only a little added pressure for the man with the ‘Brown Pride’ tattoo in a fight that was first scheduled for April but delayed due to Velasquez’ seemingly oft-injured shoulder.

A long-time fringe contender who’s waited seemingly forever for a shot at the title, Fabricio Werdum (18-5-1) is a very different fighter to the one the UFC released in late 2008 after his 81-second drubbing by a debuting Dos Santos. Back then, the Pride veteran looked awkward on his feet and relied too heavily on his impeccable Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills.  

Never close to title contention in his days in Japan, Werdum was still a solid addition to the Strikeforce heavyweight ranks in 2009. And the Werdum hype machine really got rolling after his stunning win over Fedor Emelianenko, then on a 27-win run.

A decent name to face the internet’s heavyweight darling, Werdum was not expected to win, but he did, with a shocking 69-second submission. Sadly for Werdum, his next outing almost a year later saw him drop a timid decision to Alistair Overeem that eliminated him from the Strikeforce grand prix. But since then, his UFC performances have been outstanding.  

Showing off hugely improved Muay Thai skills, he battered Roy Nelson, the iron-jaw-in-a-furry-face, for three rounds; smashed an overmatched Mike Russow inside half a round; and armbarred another faded heavyweight legend in Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.  

All that earned him a title eliminator where the bookies somehow had him the underdog against the much-hyped, but nowhere near as battle-tested Travis Browne. Werdum dominated every aspect of the fight for the full 25 minutes.

Based on those recent showings, the challenger is extremely dangerous, despite his 37 years. He’s skilled, experienced and easily one of the best three heavyweights in the sport today. Yet, regardless, the hugely impressive Velasquez still starts as a sizeable favorite.

Long-term, the biggest worry for Velasquez is how his body holds up. Battling injuries, since 2010 he’s been averaging less than two fights a year and his schedule has prompted talk that his full-on style of training and the kind of hard sparring that his (and many other major fight camps) have had so much success with, may not be conducive to a long career.  

But for all those concerns, he’s incredibly good everywhere and the best option when naming the greatest heavyweight in the sport’s 20-plus year history. A healthy Velasquez should win this in brutal, possibly even very dominant, style.