UFC
Fabricio Werdum thinks Cain Velasquez fight in June could go same as Fedor Emelianenko bout
Jan 26, 2015 - 10:45:04 AM Fabricio Werdum thinks Cain Velasquez fight in June could go same as Fedor Emelianenko bout

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"I think he's coming with the same game. He has a very nice game, boxing very hard, has good takedowns, but I think he'll do the same thing. I think maybe on the ground. I see the fight the same thing of the Fedor [Emelianenko] fight. Triangle, submitting him. Or the big surprise. Maybe I'll knock him down... Nobody believed when I knocked down Mark Hunt. [People] said before the fight 'oh, Werdum maybe submits him, or Mark Hunt knocks him down.' But nobody expected me to knock down Mark Hunt. Nobody. They say 'Werdum, please, don't fight Cain Velasquez standing, boxing and muay thai,' but I believe in myself man. I just showed a lot of times, against Travis Browne. They said 'Werdum, please, go to the ground with him,' and I killed it with Travis Browne in the stand up. I punched him, broke his rib, nose, everything. Yes. This is very important. In the Travis Browne fight, I broke his mind. This is very important."

-Fabricio Werdum talks about his expected June title unification fight with Cain Velasquez on The MMA Hour, and why he could shock people with his approach.

Penick's Analysis: Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if Werdum tried to out-strike Velasquez. It's something he absolutely has the ability to do. The thing Velasquez does best is relentless clinch work with occasional separation to do significant damage. His ground and pound as well when he gets guys to the ground can be where he's most dangerous, but he's not necessarily the most elite straight-up striker. It's the combination of things he does that makes him overall elite, and we don't know how much that aspect of his game will be impacted by this year and a half layoff into June. But Werdum has significantly improved his striking game, which makes him all the more dangerous because he's elite in his submission game as well.