Turd Ferguson
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I think what impressed me the most last night at UFC 143 was the vast improvement in Fabricio Werdum's striking. Werdum is getting up there in age (34 years old), and I thought that he'd be nothing more than an elite level gatekeeper in his return to the UFC, which is nothing to be ashamed about. I just didn't think he'd be able to evolve from being a pure BJJ guy.
I was sure that the fight with Roy Nelson would be a standup battle. I thought Roy would neutralize Werdum's BJJ, and he proved that theory correct early in the fight. I thought from there, Nelson would have the edge on the feet, where Nelson has shown devastating KO power, and Werdum has gotten rocked in the past and wanted nothing to do with Overeem at all standing in their fight last year. Werdum's standup has also always been pretty rudimentary.
Last night, he battered the bejeezus out of Big Country for three rounds. He dished out some devastating knees and showcased some elite level Muay Thai. The only reason why Roy didn't get KO'ed is because he has a granite chin. Fabricio Werdum is a legit Top 5 Heavyweight. What's scary is that he might be the most complete fighter in the Heavyweight Division.
What he does have going against him, and this is a pretty big obstacle for him, is that he lost to Dos Santos in a minute, and his fight against Overeem will best be remembered for this:
Needless to say, the UFC is going to have a tough time marketing a rematch when Werdum already got lit up by Dos Santos (in his UFC debut no less), and literally nobody wants to see another Overeem vs. Werdum fight.
However, I think a fight against Frank Mir makes a lot of sense for both guys, and with how both guys are pretty similar, I think it would be a great fight.
It's just a shame that Werdum is pretty much between a rock and a hard place for his title aspirations. Do you see him getting a title shot in 2012?
I was sure that the fight with Roy Nelson would be a standup battle. I thought Roy would neutralize Werdum's BJJ, and he proved that theory correct early in the fight. I thought from there, Nelson would have the edge on the feet, where Nelson has shown devastating KO power, and Werdum has gotten rocked in the past and wanted nothing to do with Overeem at all standing in their fight last year. Werdum's standup has also always been pretty rudimentary.
Last night, he battered the bejeezus out of Big Country for three rounds. He dished out some devastating knees and showcased some elite level Muay Thai. The only reason why Roy didn't get KO'ed is because he has a granite chin. Fabricio Werdum is a legit Top 5 Heavyweight. What's scary is that he might be the most complete fighter in the Heavyweight Division.
What he does have going against him, and this is a pretty big obstacle for him, is that he lost to Dos Santos in a minute, and his fight against Overeem will best be remembered for this:

Needless to say, the UFC is going to have a tough time marketing a rematch when Werdum already got lit up by Dos Santos (in his UFC debut no less), and literally nobody wants to see another Overeem vs. Werdum fight.
However, I think a fight against Frank Mir makes a lot of sense for both guys, and with how both guys are pretty similar, I think it would be a great fight.
It's just a shame that Werdum is pretty much between a rock and a hard place for his title aspirations. Do you see him getting a title shot in 2012?