It has been almost two full decades since Mark “The Hammer” Coleman unified the early UFC Superfight and UFC Tournament titles to become the inaugural undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion of the world. Aside from Velasquez vs Dos Santos 2, at no other point since the title’s inception in 1997 has a championship rematch had more potential for shuffling the proverbial deck than the impending sequel between Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum.
Velasquez vs Werdum 2: The Legacy Fight
Not trying to steal uncle Dana’s catchphrases here, but Velasquez vs Werdum 2 may very well be the biggest rematch in UFC heavyweight history.
In their first encounter at UFC 188 in Mexico City, Werdum out-prepared, out-psyched and outfought Velasquez to consolidate his ‘interim’ tag into an undisputed title reign. The result surprised many observers who, instead of heaping praise upon the new champ, blindly dismissed his upset win as a product of Velasquez’ extensive layoff and lack of altitude adaptation.
The truth, however, lies somewhere in the middle: due to a plethora of reasons, Cain Velasquez may not have been at his best when it mattered, but that shouldn’t defer any credit from Werdum whose preparation allowed him to seize the moment.
The keywords here are ‘preparation’ and ‘seize the moment’.
How any fan of this sport could view these concepts as anything other than fair gamesmanship is below my level of abstraction. Cain-apologists likely don’t believe in studying ahead for an exam, or test-driving a car before buying it, but I digress.
The title of “World Champion” implies that whoever holds it should be capable of successfully defending it anywhere on the planet, and that, no matter if it’s at sea-level or 7,380 feet above the shore line.
Werdum approached the game strategically and won. It was checkmate. Plain and simple.
Cain Velasquez doesn’t need sycophants to make excuses for him, though. The AKA-product has already been in this position once. At the inaugural UFC on Fox event, Junior dos Santos spoiled Cain’s first title defense by knocking him out at 1m:4s of the first round. Velasquez avenged that loss with two subsequent beatings of such a savage nature that they have completely wiped that first loss off the public’s collective memory bank. If that same beastly version of Cain shows up to challenge Werdum, the MMA universe could be in for a case of déjà vu.
It would be foolish, dangerous even, to assume that Werdum and his mestre, Kings MMA impressario Rafael Cordeiro, haven’t already concocted a master plan to neutralize Cain’s relentless style (at sea-level).
The second time around, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Cain Velasquez vs Fabricio Werdum 2 presents an unique opportunity for both fighters.
The two possible outcomes — of either Velasquez ascending to the heavyweight throne for a record-tying third time, or Werdum triumphing once more over the indomitable “Cardio Cain” — have vastly diverging consequences in terms of future matchmaking. The outcome of this fight will have far-reaching ramifications on both fighters’ legacies.
For Cain Velasquez, getting the belt back from his nemesis would put him in company with Randy Couture as the second three-time heavyweight champion in UFC history.
For Fabricio Werdum, a second consecutive win over Cain would solidify his status as the lineal “Baddest Man on the Planet”, and possibly silence some of his detractors.
The division’s title picture and upcoming matchmaking decisions will also hinge on the results of this rematch. For at least one other former champion, the outcome of this bout could be a situation of “feast or famine”.
Gipsy King in Exile
If Cain manages to reclaim the title, then a third and decisive rubber match between he and Werdum would be the most natural follow-up. However, if anyone should be cheering for Werdum to retain the heavyweight title, it would be Junior dos Santos.
After being brutally mauled in two separate matches against Cain Velasquez, JDS spent the last two years banished from title consideration, despite the fact that he has been sitting pretty at the #2 contender spot.
If Werdum wins in back-to-back performances then he would essentially banish Cain from the title picture the same way Cain did JDS. How ironic would that be?
Add to that, the fact that “Cigano” is only one of three current fighters (the others being Andrei Arlovski and Alistair Overeem) to hold wins over the current UFC Heavyweight Champion, and suddenly the prospect of him vying for the world title makes absolute sense. Simply put, Junior dos Santos vs Fabricio Werdum 2 would do big numbers in Brazil with potential buzz to help UFC materialize its soccer stadium pipe dream.
Like I said though, there’s only one angry “if” standing in the way, and his name is Cain Velasquez.
Barbarians at the Gate
In case you haven’t noticed, most of the UFC’s top-10 heavyweights are currently entrenched in a sort of unspoken tournament, because some day Velasquez and Werdum will be done fighting each other. The UFC understands this and is actively building a list of marketable contenders. Here’s a list of recent and upcoming heavyweight showdowns:
September 5, 2015: UFC 191
Andrei Arlovski (#4) defeated Frank Mir (#10) via unanimous decision
September 27, 2015: UFC Fight Night 75
Josh Barnett (#8) vs Roy Nelson (#11)
October 24, 2015: UFC Fight Night 76
Stipe Miocic (#3) vs Ben Rothwell (#6)
November 15, 2015: UFC 193
Mark Hunt (#7) vs Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (#12)
December 17, 2015: UFC on Fox 17
Junior Dos Santos (#2) vs Alistair Overeem (#9)
As noted earlier, former divisional king JDS could be next in line for a title shot if he wins his next match against Alistair Overeem, and if Werdum retains the title. Other than “Cigano”, Stipe Miocic has also been waiting in the wing at the #3 spot for much longer than expected. No matter who holds the title, the Strong Style Fight Team representative deserves to be second in line for a championship match.
As for Andrei Arlovski, his recent resurgence is the feel-good story of the division. With a 10-1-1NC record over his last 12 bouts, the “Pit Bull” is primed to bring some old-school flavor back to the title picture.
Before any of these challengers can get their shot at the UFC Heavyweight Championship, the grudge match (and possibly, a subsequent rubber match) between Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum needs to be settled first. Once the smoke clears, there will no shortage of barbarian warlords ready to challenge the ruler of the land.
Business is about to pick-up.
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