Editor’s Note: Thanks to Akhilesh Gannavarapu and our friends at SportsKeeda.com for providing us with his interview with UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion, Fabricio Werdum.
Following his victory over Mark Hunt at UFC 180 to take the UFC Interim Heavyweight Title, my colleague Ratish Menon and I had the pleasure of interviewing the UFC Featherweight champion. Here’s a transcript of our interview.
Akhilesh Gannavarapu: Congratulations on becoming the new Interim Heavyweight champion in the UFC. How does it feel to be the champ in MMA, your chosen sport after having been champion in Jiu Jitsu many times?
Fabricio Werdum: The feeling is amazing. I have been waiting and training a long time, not just in MMA but from my time in Jiu Jitsu, and it is really a special moment. Mark Hunt is a great fighter with amazing power and while I was in the cage, before the fight started, I saw this fighter weighing at around 285 lbs trying to knock my head off. He even took me down in the first round and kept faking the takedown again, so I waited and timed my knee perfectly. To be in this moment, I am very excited for sure.
Ratish Menon: Let us talk about the hottest topic in the world of MMA today. You recently said you were open for a super fight with the lightweight champ Jon Jones based on his recent comments about fighting the heavyweights. Could you elaborate more on the same?
FW: I think it is a great idea, the Jon Jones fight. But my focus right now is Cain Velasquez.
AG: Your next challenge is in June when you face Cain Velasquez for the undisputed UFC Heavyweight championship. How different would it be for you to go from training for someone like Mark Hunt to prepare for Cain Velasquez?
FW: Totally different. Mark Hunt is a striking guy and Cain is a striker with great wrestling, where he likes to take people down. The strategy would be totally different, but the focus is the same. I am extremely focused on June. After a week of rest now, tomorrow I go to see my family and then I get back to training again. He is a complete fighter and the fans have been wanting to see this fight for a long time.
AG: You’re well known for your grappling skills and submissions, while Cain usually gets on top of his opponents on the ground. How do you plan to counter his lethal combinations?
FW: He is surely going to try and take me down in the fight, but I don’t worry as I am comfortable on my back and I want him in my guard. In my fight with Mark Hunt too, when I was taken down, he didn’t punch me if you look at it as he knew I was comfortable being in that position. If Cain does the same, it will be to my advantage and I would prefer it would be in the center of the cage, where there is space.
RM: Your second run in the UFC has rejuvenated your career. Do you still want to face Dos Santos – a man you have some unfinished business with?
FW: Like I said before, my focus right now is on Cain Velasquez only and once that road is clear, I would be open to other fights.
AG: Looking back, you turned the MMA world upside down with your victory over arguably the greatest name in MMA history, “The last emperor” Fedor Emelianenko. What was going through your mind when you stepped into the cage to fight him, and what was your immediate reaction post match?
FW: When I beat Fedor, it was one of the most amazing times of my life, especially because I was such a big fan of his. I can honestly say that along with my title victory over Mark Hunt ranks among the 2 biggest moments of my fighting career.
AG: You are one of the very few fighters who have had success in the 3 biggest MMA promotions – Pride, Strikeforce & UFC. Which one has been personally your toughest challenge ever?
FW: Of course every fight is a hard challenge, as there is a lot of work that goes into it. But fighting in the UFC is the biggest test as the roster is full of some of the best fighters on the planet.
RM: The one thing that really stood out in your last 2 performances was how far your stand up game has come along since your first stint in the UFC. How gratifying was it to finish renowned KO artist Mark Hunt with that flying knee?
FW: The feeling was tremendous and it was great to have the training camp that I did, as Rafael Cordeos is a great coach who gave Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva and Shogun their black belts. So, I was very confident going into this fight and even in training, I had asked if I could do the knee and it all worked out.
AG: Your original opponent at UFC 180 Cain got injured and had to bow out of the card. How disappointed were you when you got the news and what are your thoughts about him as a fighter?
FW: I was very disappointed when I got the news first, but then as I sat down with my team and discussed, they made me realize that it was just a fight and I need to re-plan and adjust my strategy with the situation having changed. He has proved that he is the top fighter in HW and it would be a great honour to fight him again for the title.
RM: During your fight with Hunt, you got dropped in the first round with punches and you were unable to finish him in the guard. Was it a conscious effort to take the fight to him in the second round, after you were wary of his strikes in the first?
FW: In the first round, my mind wasn’t fully there and I wasn’t fully focused as there were a lot of fans in Mexico City and I was a bit distracted. But when I got tagged in the first round and got taken to the ground, I could sense him get tired and knew it was an opportunity for me. At the start of the second round, I had regained my focus and was moving much better as a result.
RM: What is your take on the current state of the HW division in the UFC, which is said to be at its thinnest in years? Who are the upcoming fighters in your opinion to be challenging for the title in the coming years?
FW: I think the stand-out guy to watch out in the HW ranks is Stepe Miocic, who will be fighting Dos Santos next.
AG: Despite Cain dropping out of the card, UFC 180 was a success, and a large portion of the crowd got behind you after you showcased your Spanish skills throughout your time in Mexico. Now with the title unification fight with Cain to be held in Mexico, what are your thoughts on the same?
FW: During my time in Mexico City, I realized what a big following Cain has and while I gained a fair bit of following among the people by working as a Spanish analyst before, the next time we fight I expect 20% of the crowd to be on my side.
RM: You have traveled the world and been a part of Jiu Jitsu seminars all over. What are your thoughts about India and when can we and the fans in India get to have an opportunity to see you at one of such events?
FW: I will answer the question with a question of my own. When will I get invited to India? (Laughs). I am very curious to come to India and hope to see you guys soon.
Don’t forget to tune in next Sunday for UFC 181, and we’ll be interviewing the UFC Welterweight champion Johny Hendricks in a couple of days before his fight with Robbie Lawler! You can also follow Werdum on Twitter here.
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