On a night few are soon to forget, Fabricio Werdum did the impossible: in only 69 seconds he submitted Fedor Emelianenko, who was the consensus top-ranked heavyweight in the world of mixed martial arts for nearly a decade. The sport was turned upside down and its schema was forever altered.
Oddly enough, many rankings listed Werdum as the second-ranked heavyweight in the world behind Brock Lesnar, who later went on to lose and abdicate his ranking to Cain Velasquez. Yet Raphael Cordeiro, Werdum’s trainer and close friend, says that none of this ever led Werdum to question his sense of being the best in the heavyweight division:
“When Werdum beat Fedor he knew he was the number one guy. Of course there is Cain Velasquez, who is very good, but being in different promotions that is what it is. Now, when we beat Overeem, everyone will say Werdum is number one.”
Although many fans questioned the legitimacy of the rankings at the time, Cordeiro claims it barely crossed Werdum’s mind.
“It never bothered Fabricio when some people said he wasn’t the top guy after beating Fedor. Mixed martial arts fans all over the world know who he is. They know what he has accomplished and contributed to the sport. That is the most important thing to him. He is a humble guy.”
The stakes are unquestionably high for Werdum going into his next fight. He faces off against Strikeforce Heavyweight Champ Alistair Overeem, who many believe to be the most talented heavyweight in the division following his victory at the K-1 World Grand Prix, in the first round of a the highly-anticipated Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament. Although Overeem has looked almost invincible in his recent performances, Cordeiro states that Werdum is very confident about the fight.
“There are ways to beat Overeem and we know how. It’s been done before. People forget all the time that Werdum has already beaten Overeem. We have a strategy and we are working on even more than that in order to be prepared. When you see Werdum fight, you’re going to say ‘wow.’”
Werdum is coming off of a recent elbow surgery and rehabilitation, a process he delayed for nearly two years. Though he fought impressively through the pestering injury, Cordeiro expects to see an improved and invigorated Werdum come time for his next fight.
“The belt is what Werdum is after. He wants it very much. Winning a world-title means a lot and that is something he is ready for. Now that he is healthy and past his injury, you are going to see even greater things from him. You’ll see.”