Fabricio Werdum's nickname is Vai Cavalo, but perhaps it should be "The Legend Killer." On Saturday night at UFC 188, the 37-year-old knocked off another seemingly indestructible opponent and became the UFC's undisputed heavyweight champion. Werdum submitted Cain Velasquez in the third round in Mexico City in what will go down as one of the biggest wins in UFC history.
Back in 2010, Werdum also submitted mixed martial arts legend Fedor Emelianenko. Even with that huge win from his past, per Fox Sports: UFC on Twitter, Werdum acknowledged Saturday's victory was the pinnacle for him:
Werdum: This moment, today, is the best moment of my life #UFC188
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) June 14, 2015
Everyone knew Werdum was a superior Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist. Most also knew how much his striking had improved, but few figured he'd be as good as he was on his feet or have more stamina than Velasquez.
Coming into the bout, Velasquez was lauded for his cardio and pace, but by the second round, he was clearly gassed. Werdum, who had been in Mexico for three months, had seemingly become more acclimated to the altitude. His preparation looked to be a factor.
When it was over, Velasquez was gracious in defeat and offered no excuses:
Cain: I was here two weeks before the fight, maybe that wasn't enough, but he was just the better man, tonight. #UFC188
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) June 14, 2015
UFC President Dana White talked about the impact the altitude had on several of the fighters on the card:
Dana White: This altitude kills you, here. Six guys puked in the back #UFC188
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) June 14, 2015
It introduces an interesting dynamic for upcoming cards in Mexico. Fighting at altitude creates a need to alter training, and it's a factor fighters will have to respect moving forward.
Afterward, several members of the MMA community were still in awe of Werdum's performance hours after the event had ended. Fox Sports' Ariel Helwani, MMA legend Bas Rutten and FightHub's Marcos Villegas shared their impressions:
No sleep (yet) till BK. Boarding now. Still in awe of Werdum. He was cut from the UFC 7 years ago! What a story. pic.twitter.com/c9hIfvDX4I
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 14, 2015
Man, Werdum, wow, he has always been good, but his striking has improved dramatically on an incline for the last... http://t.co/YpZeDMEMvC
— Bas Rutten (@BasRuttenMMA) June 14, 2015
With this win, Werdum has now beaten two of the most dominant heavyweights in Mma on all time. Wow. (Fedor, Velasquez)
— marcos villegas (@heyitsmarcosv) June 14, 2015
If you take a hard look at Werdum's career, it seems impossible not to consider him one of the best of all time. Every loss he's suffered in his career has been to a respectable opponent—and there have only been five in 13 years: Alistair Overeem (Werdum won their first meeting), Junior dos Santos, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (avenged), Sergei Kharitonov and Andrei Arlovski.
If he wants to, he has a chance to avenge every one of those losses. Dos Santos is probably next for the champion. If he beats him, it's feasible he could face Arlovski, who is now a Top Five heavyweight. Also, Overeem looked great in his win over Roy Nelson and could climb back into the title picture in the next year or so.
That's looking far ahead, but it's worth noting because of what it could mean for Werdum's legacy. As for right now, he stands alone on the mountaintop of the heavyweight MMA landscape.
