Fabrício Werdum (; born 30 July 1977) is a Brazilian

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

and former

UFC Heavyweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

who competes in the

Heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...

division. He is also a 4-time

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

world champion, a two-time

Abu Dhabi Combat Club The ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, is an international submission wrestling, submission grappling competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). The inaugural tournament was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 1998. It has been ...

World Heavyweight Champion and European jiu-jitsu champion. He holds a black belt in

Judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...

, and

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...

. Werdum has competed in

PRIDE Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) wh ...

, the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *''Marvel Strike Force'', ...

, and

Jungle Fight Jungle Fight is a Brazilian mixed martial arts and kickboxing promotion. It was created in 2003. The name is derived from its origin, the Amazonas state in Brazil. History Jungle Fight was founded by pioneering MMA fighter and long-time Brazi ...

. At the time of his departure from the UFC, Werdum was #14 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.

Early life and education

Born in

Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, twelfth most populous city in the country ...

, Werdum started training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu after being choked unconscious with a triangle choke by the ex-boyfriend of his girlfriend. He trained with Marcio Corleta at the Porto Alegre Academy, Winner Behring. After success in competitive Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission grappling, he started his career in MMA. He moved to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

to join his mother, who had been living in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

. As a purple belt, he started teaching the art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Madrid and other cities of Spain. Despite only training with white and blue belts, he became a BJJ World Champion, being promoted to the rank of black belt by Master Sylvio Behring three years later.

Mixed martial arts career

Werdum's early fights were with the promotions

, Millennium Brawl, and World Absolute Fight. He boasted a 4–0–1 record, including a win against BJJ specialist

Gabriel Gonzaga Gabriel Gonzaga Santos Nogueira (; born 18 May 1979) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who competed in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is perhaps best known for his upset head-kick knockout of ...

. He was

Mirko Filipović Mirko Filipović (; born 10 September 1974), better known by his ring name Mirko Cro Cop, is a retired Croatian professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer and amateur boxer. He is mostly known for his time in Pride Fighting Championships. Cro C ...

’s sparring partner at that time and the Croat was the main reason for his debut in PRIDE.

PRIDE Fighting Championships

In 2005, Werdum made his PRIDE debut against

Tom Erikson Tom Erikson (born July 6, 1964) is an American former amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist who competed in the super heavyweight division. Weighing between and throughout his career, "The Big Cat" began wrestling at an early age and was ...

, winning by

submission Deference (also called submission or passivity) is the condition of submitting to the espoused, legitimate influence of one's superior or superiors. Deference implies a yielding or submitting to the judgment of a recognized superior, out of re ...

. Later that year he faced

Roman Zentsov Roman Zentsov (russian: Роман Зенцов, ) (born September 10, 1973 in Bryansk) is a retired Russian heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter who has competed in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, a major MMA organization based in Japan, and ...

PRIDE Final Conflict 2005 The year 2005 is the 9th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2005 had 10 events beginning with, ''Pride 29 - Fists of Fire''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters Th ...

, he was able to defeat Zentsov by a triangle choke in 6:01 of the first round. Werdum then had the first loss in his MMA career, when he lost to

Sergei Kharitonov Sergei Valerievich Kharitonov (russian: Серге́й Вале́рьевич Харито́нов, Sergéj Valér'jevich Kharitónov, ; born August 18, 1980) is a Russian professional heavyweight mixed martial artist and former kick ...

via split decision in

PRIDE 30 The year 2005 is the 9th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2005 had 10 events beginning with, ''Pride 29 - Fists of Fire''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters The ...

. Then in early 2006, Werdum defeated Jon Olav Einemo by unanimous decision in PRIDE 31. He accumulated a record of 3–1 in PRIDE before entering the 2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix. His first match of the tournament was against Dutch fighter

Alistair Overeem Alistair Cees Overeem (born 17 May 1980) is a Dutch professional heavyweight mixed martial artist and kickboxer, currently competing in the heavyweight division of Glory. He is a former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Heavyweight Cha ...

, and he won via

kimura Kimura (written: lit. "tree village") is the 17th most common Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese novelist *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese botanist *, Japanese idol and singer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanes ...

in the second round. He then faced former PRIDE Heavyweight Champion,

Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (, born 2 June 1976), better known as Minotauro or Big Nog, is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Inter ...

in the quarter-finals, losing via decision. Werdum then had a short stint in 2 Hot 2 Handle, facing

Alexander Emelianenko Alexander Vladimirovich Emelianenko ( rus, Александр Владимирович Емельяненко, Aleksandr Vladimirovich Emel'janenko ; born ) is a Russian mixed martial artist . He is a three-time Russian natio ...

in a Heavyweight bout, and beating the Russian by submission via triangle choke

armbar An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armlock that hyper-extends the arm is known as an armbar, and it includes the traditional armbar, pr ...

combination.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Fabrício Werdum debuted in the

on 21 April 2007 at UFC 70: Nations Collide. He faced former

Andrei Arlovski Andrei Arlovski (born 4 February 1979) is a Belarusian-American professional mixed martial artist, actor and former UFC Heavyweight Champion. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and ho ...

, losing via unanimous decision. He began to train in Brazil at Chute Boxe Academy, becoming more aggressive and showing improvement in his striking, particularly in

attacks. At

UFC 80 ''UFC 80: Rapid Fire'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), that took place on January 19, 2008, at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, United Kingdom. Background The main event was originally sch ...

on 19 January 2008, Werdum met

in a rematch. Werdum won the bout by TKO. He weathered an early striking onslaught only to secure the Muay Thai clinch and connect with several

knee strikes A knee strike (commonly referred to simply as a knee) is a strike with the knee, either with the kneecap or the surrounding area. Kneeing is a disallowed practice in many combat sports, especially to the head of a downed opponent. Styles such as ...

before taking Gonzaga to the ground and finishing him with punches. Werdum's next fight was against

Brandon Vera Brandon Michael Vera (born October 10, 1977), or also known by his ring name as The Truth, is a Filipino-American (of Italian heritage) retired mixed martial artist where he was the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Champion and the 2005 WEC Heavyweigh ...

at UFC 85. He defeated Vera by TKO in the 1st round. Werdum achieved full mount with less than 30 seconds to go in the round and connected with a number of unanswered punches. The decision to stop the bout was booed due to the small amount of time remaining in the round, although the official time of stoppage was 4:40. In his next fight at

UFC 90 ''UFC 90: Silva vs. Côté'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on October 25, 2008, at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. Background The main event featured UFC Middleweigh ...

, Werdum was heavily favored to win but was knocked out in 1:20 of the first round via uppercut by debuting

Junior dos Santos Junior dos Santos (; born 30 January 1984) is a Brazilian Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and Professional wrestling, professional wrestler who competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of Eagle FC. As a mixed martial ar ...

. After the loss Werdum's contract was terminated by the UFC. Since Werdum was not contacted directly about the termination he had no idea he had been cut and initially denied the news of him no longer being in the UFC as just a rumor.

Strikeforce

After leaving the UFC Werdum then signed with

. He made his debut at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg on 15 August 2009, against fellow UFC veteran Mike "MAK" Kyle. He won by submission in 1:24 of the first round. Werdum followed that up with a unanimous decision victory over Antônio "Bigfoot" Silva at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers. Werdum faced former Pride Heavyweight Champion

Fedor Emelianenko Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko ( rus, Фёдор Влади́мирович Емелья́ненко, r=Fyodor Vladimirovich Yemelyanenko, p=ˈfʲɵdər vlɐˈdʲimʲɪrəvʲɪtɕ jɪmʲɪˈlʲjænʲɪnkə, IPA; born ...

on 26 June 2010, at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum. In an enormous upset victory, Werdum forced Fedor to tap via triangle/armbar 1:09 into the first round.Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography, and More – Sherdog.co
while propelling Werdum's status up the Heavyweight rankings. He was ranked as the third-best Heavyweight in MMA by Sherdog.com, Sherdog">– Strikeforce Fedor vs Werdum Results – Fedor Emelianenko Taps Out to Fabricio Werdum – Bloody Elbow
Sherdog.com. The victory ended Emelianenko's 28-fight unbeaten streak while propelling Werdum's status up the Heavyweight rankings. He was ranked as the third-best Heavyweight in MMA by Sherdog.com, Sherdog
. The victory over Fedor also gave him the distinction of being the only man to hold victories over both of the Emelianenko brothers. A rematch with

took place on 18 June 2011, at Strikeforce: Dallas as part of an eight-man Heavyweight Tournament. Werdum lost to Overeem by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, and 29–28). He has received some criticism for "pleading" Overeem to fight him on the ground in order to get into a position favorable to him due to his Brazilian jiu-jitsu background.

Ultimate Fighting Championship return

On 8 November 2011, Werdum made his return to the UFC via contract-signing. It was speculated that his return fight might be against

Brendan Schaub Brendan Peter Schaub (born March 18, 1983) is an American podcast host, former professional mixed martial artist, and stand-up comedian. He is the host of ''The Fighter and the Kid'' podcast, the ''Below the Belt with Brendan Schaub'' podcast, ...

, a fight he expressed an interest in. The bout, however, did not materialize. Instead, for his return match, Werdum faced Roy Nelson at

UFC 143 ''UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit'' was a mixed martial arts event organized by Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 4, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background An episode of UFC Primetime returned to promote the m ...

on 4 February 2012. He won the fight via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, and 30–27). The back and forth action earned ''Fight of the Night'' honors. Werdum next faced

Mike Russow Michael Earl Russow (born November 9, 1976) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Heavyweight division. Having made his professional debut in 1998, Russow has formerly competed for the UFC, Adrenaline MMA ...

on 23 June 2012, at

UFC 147 ''UFC 147: Silva vs. Franklin II'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 23, 2012 at Mineirinho Arena in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Background The finals in the featherweight and middlewei ...

. Werdum won the match against Russow in the first-round via TKO. Werdum coached opposite

on the second season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. The two met in a rematch at the conclusion of the season, on 8 June 2013, at UFC on Fuel TV: Nogueira vs. Werdum. He won the fight via verbal submission due to an armbar in the second round. The victory also gives him the distinction of being the only fighter to hold submission victories over both

and

both whom were former

PRIDE FC PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts even ...

Heavyweight Champions. Werdum faced

Travis Browne Travis Kuualiialoha Browne (born July 17, 1982) is an American retired mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who last competed as a heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Browne was born in H ...

UFC on Fox 11 ''UFC on Fox: Werdum vs. Browne'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 11'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 19, 2014, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Background The event was headlined by a he ...

in a Heavyweight title eliminator bout. Despite being a betting underdog and considered at a disadvantage in terms of striking, Werdum dominated the fight for nearly all five rounds. He won the fight via unanimous decision (49–46, 50–45, and 50–45).

Heavyweight title

On 29 April 2014, the UFC announced that Werdum and heavyweight champion

Cain Velasquez Caín Ramirez Velasquez (born July 28, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist, currently appearing for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). He is widely known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, ...

had been selected as coaches for the inaugural installment of '' The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America'', with the two expected to face each other on 15 November 2014 at

UFC 180 ''UFC 180: Werdum vs. Hunt'' was a mixed martial arts event held on November 15, 2014, at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico. Background The event was the first the organization hosted in Mexico and was so popular that all 21,000 tic ...

. On 21 October 2014, it was announced that Velasquez pulled out of the bout due to a knee injury. Werdum instead faced

Mark Hunt Mark Richard Hunt (born 23 March 1974) is a New Zealand former mixed martial artist and kickboxer of Samoan descent, currently living in Sydney, Australia. Hunt competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) until 2018 and was the winn ...

for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship at

. Despite being dropped by punches early on, he won the fight via TKO in the second round, becoming the new UFC interim Heavyweight Champion. The win also earned Werdum his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. A rescheduled bout with Velasquez took place on 13 June 2015, at

UFC 188 ''UFC 188: Velasquez vs. Werdum'' was a mixed martial arts event held on June 13, 2015, at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico. Background The event was headlined by a UFC Heavyweight Championship unification bout between then champio ...

in Mexico City. In a back-and-forth affair, Werdum won the fight in the third round by guillotine choke submission. The win earned Werdum his second consecutive ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. With the victory, Werdum unified the UFC's heavyweight titles and became the undisputed champion. Subsequently, Werdum signed a new, eight-fight contract with the UFC.

Losing the Heavyweight Championship

A rematch with Velasquez was expected to take place on 6 February 2016, at

UFC Fight Night 82 ''UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs. Thompson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 82'') was a mixed martial arts event held on February 6, 2016, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was originally billed as ''UFC 19 ...

. However, Velasquez pulled out of the bout due to a back injury on 23 January and was replaced by Stipe Miocic. On the following day, Werdum announced that he was pulling out of the event due to an injury as well. The bout with Miocic was rescheduled and took place on 14 May 2016, at

UFC 198 ''UFC 198: Werdum vs. Miocic'' was a mixed martial arts event held on May 14, 2016, at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil. Background The event was initially announced as a ''Fight Night'' event with a middleweight bout between former UFC Ligh ...

. Werdum lost the fight via knockout in the first round after rushing in with an attempted flurry of punches and was caught with a counter right hook, suffering his first defeat since June 2011.

Post-title

Werdum was expected to face Ben Rothwell on 10 September 2016 at

UFC 203 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. However, Rothwell pulled out of the fight on 11 August citing a knee injury and was replaced by former opponent

. Werdum won the fight by unanimous decision. After the bout, Travis' coach Edmond Tarverdyan angrily confronted Werdum, who push kicked the coach in the chest and raise his hands to defend himself. This resulted in both fighter corners having to get involved to separate the two men. No disciplinary action was taken against Werdum for the incident. Werdum was expected to face

in a rematch at

UFC 207 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

on 30 December 2016. However the Nevada State Athletic Commission failed to approve Velasquez to fight, determining after physical examinations and interviews that he was unfit to compete. The bout with Ben Rothwell was rescheduled and expected to take place on 13 May 2017 at

UFC 211 ''UFC 211: Miocic vs. dos Santos 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on May 13, 2017, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Background The event was the fourth that the UFC has host ...

. The bout was canceled due to Rothwell failing a drug test. A third fight with

took place on 8 July 2017 at

UFC 213 ''UFC 213: Romero vs. Whittaker'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 8, 2017, at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Background The event took place ...

. Although coming close to finishing Overeem in the third round, Werdum lost the bout via somewhat controversial majority decision. Werdum was expected to face

Derrick Lewis Derrick James Lewis (born February 7, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he currently holds the record for most knockouts ...

on 7 October 2017 at

UFC 216 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. However, the day of the event Lewis was unable to fight due to back issues. Werdum agreed to face last-minute replacement Walt Harris on the card. After securing a single leg takedown almost immediately, Werdum quickly secured back mount and transitioned to an armbar for the victory just over a minute into the fight. Werdum faced

Marcin Tybura Marcin Tybura (born November 9, 1985) is a Polish professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2011, Tybura previously fought fo ...

on 19 November 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura. He dominated most of the action and won the fight via unanimous decision. Werdum faced Alexander Volkov on 17 March 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 127 ''UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 127'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on March 17, 2018, at The O2 Arena in London, England. Background A heavy ...

. He lost the back-and-forth fight via knockout in the fourth round.

USADA suspension

Werdum was expected to face

Alexey Oleynik Aleksei Alexeyevich Oleinik (born June 25, 1977, as Oleksíy Oleksíyovych Olíynyk) is a Russian mixed martial artist and Sambo (martial art)#Styles, combat sambo fighter who fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, competing in their ...

on 15 September 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 136 ''UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Oleinik'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 136'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on September 15, 2018 at Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Moscow, Russia. Background The ev ...

. However on 22 May, Fabrício Werdum was flagged for a potential

USADA The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA, ) is a non-profit, non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization and the national anti- doping organization (NADO) for the United States. To protect clean competition and the integrity of sport and prevent ...

doping violation. In September 2018 it was revealed that the substance in question was

trenbolone Trenbolone is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) of the nandrolone group which itself was never marketed. Trenbolone ester prodrugs, including trenbolone acetate (brand names Finajet, Finaplix, others) and trenbolone hexahydrobenzylcarbonate ...

and as a result he was suspended from competition for 2 years. He was eligible to return in May 2020. Having two fights left in his contract, Werdum announced that he has requested for a release from the UFC. Subsequently, Werdum's 2-year suspension was reduced to 10 months for

substantial assistance The United States Federal Sentencing Guidelines are rules published by the U.S. Sentencing Commission that set out a uniform policy for sentencing individuals and organizations convicted of felonies and serious (Class A) misdemeanors in the Uni ...

Return from suspension

Werdum was expected to face

on 9 May 2020 at

UFC 250 ''UFC 250: Nunes vs. Spencer'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 6, 2020 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. ...

. However, on April 9,

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed and the bout eventually took place on May 9, 2020 at

UFC 249 ''UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 9, 2020 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It was originally planned to ...

. Werdum lost the fight via split decision. Werdum faced

Alexander Gustafsson Alexander Gustafsson (born 15 January 1987) is a Swedish professional mixed martial artist. Gustafsson currently competes in the light heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Gustafsson spent a major part of his MMA ...

on July 26, 2020 at

UFC on ESPN 14 ''UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 14'' and ''UFC Fight Island 3'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 26, 2020 at the du Forum on Yas Island, Abu ...

, the latter making his debut at heavyweight. He won the fight via an armbar submission in round one. This win earned him the ''

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

'' award. After the fight, Werdum chose not to re-sign with the UFC.

Professional Fighters League

On November 16, 2020, Werdum announced he had signed a multi-fight deal with the

Professional Fighters League The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promot ...

promotion and will compete in the 2021 PFL heavyweight tournament. He made his promotional debut against Team Nogueira fighter Renan Ferreira on May 6, 2021 at PFL 3. He lost the fight via technical knockout in the first round. The loss was surrounded by controversy as replays showed Ferreira tapping out while Werdum had him locked into a triangle choke right before Ferreira finished Werdum. On May 10, the

New Jersey State Athletic Control Board The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (SACB) regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New Jersey, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, mixed martial arts fighters, second ...

announced that Ferreira's TKO win against Werdum was overturned to a

no contest ' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neith ...

due to the controversy of the stoppage. Werdum was scheduled to face Brandon Sayles on June 25, 2021 at PFL 6. However, it was later announced that Werdum had pulled out due to injuries suffered in his last bout.

Schools and instruction

Until November 2006, Werdum was the

coach to

and is associated with ''Team Werdum BJJ Academy'', located in

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. Through 2008 Werdum was a BJJ head coach in

for the Barcelo Boxing Gym. Werdum is currently training with

Kings MMA Kings MMA is a mixed martial arts (MMA) gym located in Huntington Beach, California, headed by coach Rafael Cordeiro. A successful mixed martial artist in his native Brazil, Cordeiro moved to the United States in 2008, he was previously affiliat ...

. Werdum currently teaches in

Venice, California Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California. Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed b ...

at his new school Werdum Combat Team. On 4 October 2015 Werdum signed a contract with Chechen Akhmat Fight Club to represent the club.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

UFC Heavyweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

(One time) ** Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time) ** Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Roy Nelson **

(Three times) *

** 2010 Submission of the Year vs.

on 26 June ** 2010 Upset of the Year vs.

on 26 June *

World MMA Awards The World MMA Awards are awards presented by ''Fighters Only'' magazine to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of mixed martial arts. Winners are presented with the ''Fighters Only silver statuette''. The World MMA Awards are divided ...

** 2010 Submission of the Year vs.

on 26 June *

Sherdog Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...

** 2010 Submission of the Year vs.

on 26 June ** 2010 Upset of the Year vs.

on 26 June ** 2012 All-Violence Second Team *

Bleacher Report Bleacher Report (often abbreviated as B/R) is a website that focuses on sport and sports culture. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, with offices in New York City and London. Bleacher Report was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in Aug ...

** 2010 Submission of the Year vs.

on 26 June ** 2010 Upset of the Year vs.

on 26 June *

MMAjunkie.com MMA Junkie is a news website that covers the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It was founded in 2006, and is owned by Gannett Company since 2011. The site and its content have been featured in ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine'', ''ESPN The Ma ...

**2015 June Submission of the Month vs.

* MMAFighting ** 2010 Submission of the Year vs.

on 26 June * FIGHT! Magazine ** 2010 Upset of the Year vs.

on 26 June * FightMatrix ** 2010 Upset of the Year vs.

on 26 June ** Lineal MMA Heavyweight Champion (two times)

Submission grappling

International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) is a for-profit company that hosts several of the biggest Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) tournaments in the world, including the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, World No-Gi Championship, Pan Ji ...

** 2004 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Black Belt Gold Medalist ** 2003 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Black Belt Absolute Bronze Medalist ** 2003 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Black Belt Gold Medalist ** 2003 Pan American Championships Black Belt Absolute Silver Medalist ** 2003 Pan American Championships Black Belt Bronze Medalist ** 2002 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Brown Belt Bronze Medalist ** 2002 Pan American Championships Brown Belt Gold Medalist ** 2001 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Purple Belt Silver Medalist ** 2001 Pan American Championships Purple Belt Absolute Gold Medalist ** 2001 Pan American Championships Purple Belt Gold Medalist ** 2000 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Blue Belt Absolute Gold Medalist ** 2000 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Blue Belt Gold Medalist ** 2000 Pan American Championships Blue Belt Gold Medalist *

ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship The ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, is an international submission wrestling, submission grappling competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). The inaugural tournament was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 1998. It has been ...

** 2011 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Silver Medalist ** 2009 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Gold Medalist ** 2007 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Gold Medalist ** 2005 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Bronze Medalist ** 2003 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Absolute Bronze Medalist ** 2003 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Silver Medalist

Personal life

Werdum has two daughters with his wife Karine. Werdum is fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish, having lived in Spain for 10 years, and as his mother is of Spanish descent. Werdum was previously a Spanish-language commentator for the UFC and often comes to the octagon with the Spanish flag, as well as the Brazilian one. From 2004 to 2006, Werdum lived and trained together with

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. In January 2019, Werdum made the news when he and a lifeguard rescued drowning teenagers at a beach near his home in Torrance, California.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , NC , align=center, 24–9–1 (1) , Renan Ferreira , No Contest (overturned) , PFL 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:32 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 24–9–1 ,

, Submission (armbar) , UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:30 ,

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Loss , align=center, 23–9–1 ,

, Decision (split) ,

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Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

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London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 23–7–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 22–7–1 , Walt Harris , Submission (armbar) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:05 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 21–7–1 ,

, Decision (majority) ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–6–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–6–1 , Stipe Miocic , KO (punch) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:47 ,

Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the List of cities in Brazil by population, eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 20–5–1 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:13 ,

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 19–5–1 ,

, TKO (knee and punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:27 ,

, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 18–5–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Werdum vs. Browne , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–5–1 ,

, Submission (armbar) , UFC on Fuel TV: Nogueira vs. Werdum , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:41 ,

Fortaleza Fortaleza (, locally , Portuguese for ''Fortress'') is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. It belongs to the Metropolitan mesoregion of Fortaleza and microregion of Fortaleza. It is Brazil's 5th largest city and the t ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 16–5–1 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:28 ,

Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte (, ; ) is the sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population around 2.7 million and with a metropolitan area of 6 million people. It is the 13th-largest city in South America and the 18th-largest in the Americas. The metropol ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 15–5–1 , Roy Nelson , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–5–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4–1 ,

, Submission (triangle armbar) , Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:09 ,

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4–1 , Antônio Silva , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Hoffman Estates, Illinois Hoffman Estates is a village in Illinois, United States. The village is located primarily in Cook County, with a small section in Kane County. It is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 52,530. The village now serves a ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4–1 ,

Mike Kyle Michael Andrew Kyle (born March 31, 1980) is an American professional mixed martial artist and boxer currently competing in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2001, Kyle has competed for the UFC, the WEC, Strikeforce, ...

, Submission (guillotine choke) , Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:24 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–4–1 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:20 ,

Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Located immediately northwest of Chicago, as of the 2010 census it had a population of 4,202. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that. Whi ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC 85 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:40 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:34 ,

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–3–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

UFC 70 ''UFC 70: Nations Collide'' was the second UFC event held in the United Kingdom, and the first in Manchester on Saturday, 21 April 2007. ''UFC 70'' was also only the seventh UFC event held outside the United States, and the first since ''UFC 38 ...

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Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2–1 ,

, Submission (arm-triangle choke) , 2H2H: Pride & Honor , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:24 ,

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

, Netherlands , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–2–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Pride FC - Critical Countdown Absolute , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1–1 ,

, Submission (kimura) , Pride FC - Total Elimination Absolute , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:43 ,

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1–1 , John-Olav Einemo , Decision (unanimous) , Pride 31 - Dreamers , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–1–1 ,

, Decision (split) ,

Pride 30 The year 2005 is the 9th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2005 had 10 events beginning with, ''Pride 29 - Fists of Fire''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters The ...

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0–1 ,

, Submission (triangle armbar) ,

Pride Final Conflict 2005 The year 2005 is the 9th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2005 had 10 events beginning with, ''Pride 29 - Fists of Fire''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters Th ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 6:01 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0–1 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

Pride 29 The year 2005 is the 9th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2005 had 10 events beginning with, ''Pride 29 - Fists of Fire''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters The ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:29 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0–1 , Ebenezer Fontes Braga , KO (punch) ,

Jungle Fight 2 The year 2004 is the second year in the history of Jungle Fight, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Brazil. In 2004 Jungle Fight held 2 events beginning with, ''Jungle Fight 2''. Events list Jungle Fight 2 Jungle Fight 2 was an event ...

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:28 ,

Manaus Manaus () is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Amazonas. It is the seventh-largest city in Brazil, with an estimated 2020 population of 2,219,580 distributed over a land area of about . Located at the east center of the s ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , Jungle Fight 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:11 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0–1 , Kristof Midoux , Submission (triangle armbar) , WAFF 2: World Absolute Fight 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:11 ,

Marrakech Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...

, Morocco , , - , Draw , align=center, 1–0–1 , James Zikic , Draw , Millennium Brawl 8 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, south-southeast of Ayl ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Tengiz Tedoradze , Submission (triangle choke) , Millennium Brawl 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, England , , -

Pay-per-view bouts

References

External links

Fabrício Werdum
at PFL * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Werdum, Fabricio 1977 births Living people Brazilian male mixed martial artists Heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian male judoka Brazilian male kickboxers Brazilian submission wrestlers Brazilian people of Spanish descent Brazilian Muay Thai practitioners Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Sportspeople from Porto Alegre Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Spain Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Croatia Brazilian expatriates in Russia People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship champions Doping cases in mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship medalists American people of Brazilian descent

Early life and education

Mixed martial arts career

PRIDE Fighting Championships

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Strikeforce

Ultimate Fighting Championship return

Heavyweight title

Losing the Heavyweight Championship

Post-title

USADA suspension

Return from suspension

Professional Fighters League

Schools and instruction

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Submission grappling

Personal life

Mixed martial arts record

Pay-per-view bouts

See also

References

External links