Strikeforce Fedor vs Werdum: Fabricio Werdum - “Opportunity of a Lifetime”

Fabricio Werdum faces Fedor Emelianenko atop the Strikeforce & M-1 Global Fedor vs Werdum card on June 26

> Don't miss our Strikeforce predictions and check for the Strikeforce Fedor vs Werdum results here at Pro Fighting Fans!

It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist and Chute Boxe Academy’s Fabricio Werdum gets just that on June 26 th when he will meet “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko at Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Werdum” from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. It’s not the opportunity that is so special; it’s what he does with it that can turn his career and life around 360 degrees.

So far up to this point in his career, Werdum has been labeled as a solid journeyman who has the potential to defeat anyone, just as long as he is able to get them to the floor. The accomplished jiu-jitsu specialist has 13 career victories, and over half of them (7) have been via submission. Many have questioned the decision to give Werdum this opportunity, but if his last two Strikeforce bouts are any indication, he will be up to the task.

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Werdum has shown flashes of his top-level potential in his various stints throughout the world’s top organizations. After winning four of his first five career bouts in Brazil, Werdum joined up with the Japanese-based PRIDE FC. There, he went 4-2 with three submission victories finishing American wrestler Tom Erikson, Russian journeyman Roman Zentsov, and current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem all by submission. He then moved over to the UFC in 2007, and again, showed only flashes of his capabilities. He dropped his octagon debut against Andrei Arlovski in a stand-up battle at UFC 70, but recovered and won UFC 80 and UFC 85 bouts against Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera respectively. However, he lacked the consistency and lost to Junior dos Santos at UFC 90 ending his four-fight UFC career.

So far in the past year, Werdum has been right on his normal path, starting out by winning back-to-back bouts since he signed on with Strikeforce. He was able to demonstrate his slick grappling ability in his debut when he finished veteran Mike Kyle with a tight guillotine choke on the “Carano vs. Cyborg” card last August. In November on the “Fedor vs. Rogers” card, he displayed a well-rounded skill set when he earned a unanimous decision victory over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

If his last two bouts are an indication of the progress he has made, Werdum may shock the MMA world. His ground skills have already been on par with championship caliber, and if he can get the Sambo master to the ground, his chances get even better. You have to give Werdum the ground advantage, although Fedor is as strong as an ox and would be almost impossible to submit.

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The key to Werdum pulling off one of the biggest upsets the sport has ever seen is in the stand-up department. He is going to have to be able to shake off a couple big shots from Fedor, even if he wants to take this fight to the ground. That remains to be seen. While he lacks the ability to knock Fedor out, it’s his stand-up defense that will give him a chance to come out on top anyway. If he can withstand the “big one” that knocked Brett Rogers out, then Werdum may just prove his doubters wrong. Otherwise, the overall stand-up advantage clearly goes to Fedor.

On paper, this bout isn’t an even match-up, but lucky for Werdum fights are decided in the cage and not on paper. He has demonstrated the ability to contend with the world’s top heavyweights, not only on the ground but on his feet as well. If he continues the progress he has made since signing with Strikeforce, he is going to surprise the Showtime audience on June 26 th. Whether he wins and stops “The Last Emperor’s” magnificent winning streak, I’ll believe it when I see it.

> Don't miss our feature on Werdum's opponent, Fedor Emelianenko - “History in Action”.

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer