UFC
UFC Champ Cain Velasquez out until late 2014 after surgery, Fabricio Werdum could be put in another fight
Dec 11, 2013 - 8:30:50 PM UFC Champ Cain Velasquez out until late 2014 after surgery, Fabricio Werdum could be put in another fight

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

With Cain Velasquez undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum this week, it's going to hold up the top end of the heavyweight division into late 2014.

Because of that, top contender Fabricio Werdum may be heading into another matchup in the next few months. According to Ariel Helwani on Wednesday's UFC Tonight program on Fox Sports 1, the UFC is likely going to encourage Werdum to take another fight while Velasquez recovers.

Werdum hasn't fought since he submitted Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in June following their stint as coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2." He planned to wait out the winner of the Velasquez-Junior dos Santos fight from UFC 166, and said he'd be willing to wait for a while to get his title shot.

Unfortunately, Velasquez's injury extends that timeline significantly. The Champ injured his shoulder at some point in his five round trilogy bout with dos Santos in October.

Penick's Analysis: I think we'll see Werdum step back into the cage early next year if Velasquez is going to be out until the summer or later. It'd have been one thing if their fight was delayed by doing a season of The Ultimate Fighter, but that's not the issue here. If Velasquez is out until the summer at best, staying out that long just doesn't make sense. Then again, he still could sit out, because he's said he wanted that fight with Velasquez over any others, but having both of them sit out for an extended part of 2014 keeps two of the division's best on the shelf for too long.