Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum said his fight with three-time UFC title challenger Alexander Gustafsson on ESPN 14 is the last in the octagon.
Werdum told AG Fight (h / t BloodyElbow.com) that “there is no chance” to sign a new contract with the promotion after Saturday’s fight, which would end a relationship spanning two separate octagon periods , most recently an eight-year career. marred by an anti-doping violation.
“We had a good relationship, sometimes there were some controversies, disagreements, things that happen in a normal relationship,” said Werdum. “I am very grateful to the UFC for all these years; I practically made my career in the UFC. I always wanted to get into the UFC, and they gave me that opportunity twice. “
“They fired me already and I came back because I was angry,” added Werdum with a smile. “But the cycle is over, the cycle has been good so far. Now I want to continue my career a little more, and I want to do it my way. “
During a virtual media day in support of the UFC on ESPN 14, Werdum answered questions in English with his Portuguese and native Spanish. The former champion said he had no desire to be there and that he wanted to focus on a new workout for his mind.
Werdum returned to the octagon in May at UFC 249 after serving a 10-month suspension for a positive steroid test. He requested his release from the UFC, but instead provided “substantial assistance” to the United States Anti-Doping Agency in exchange for a 14-month reduction in the originally recommended two-year suspension.
Werdum also served as a Spanish commentator for the UFC. He was briefly fired after criticizing the promotion’s clothing deal with Reebok, but was later reinstated after declaring himself a “type of company.”
Explaining his decision to move on, Werdum cited positive memories of high-profile fights, including his title victory over Cain Velásquez in June 2015, as well as his conflicts with the promotion.
“We had fights, arguments, we didn’t agree on some things, they fired me,” Werdum said with a smile. “But this has already happened, this has already happened, now it is a total advance. I can only thank the UFC for all these years of victories. ”
Werdum also regretted not fighting more often, wishing he had been able to compete up to five times a year. His UFC appearance on ESPN 14 comes immediately after consecutive losses, including a split decision setback to Aleksei Oleinik on his previous outing and a knockout loss to Alexander Volkov before that.
Gustafsson’s name and reputation prompted Werdum to request his final opponent. The three-time title challenger is coming out of retirement after back-to-back losses against champion Jon Jones and Anthony Smith.
“I had a few options, and I picked Gustafsson because he’s a well-known guy who has a name in the MMA world … and he wanted this fight to be important,” said Werdum. “I didn’t want it to be a fight, against a guy who’s just getting started. And the most important thing is victory, to perform well. I want to go out the front door.
As for his next move, Werdum hopes to return to his native Brazil, which currently resides in Southern California, and become more involved in the entertainment side of the fighting business.
“I really like television, I am not an embarrassed type when a camera appears, I am very natural and I really like it,” he said.
Werdum, a former ADCC champion, was a star on PRIDE. After the Japanese promotion was acquired by UFC father Zuffa, he made his way to the octagon and went 2-2 in the octagon, leaving the promotion after a knockout loss to future champion Junior Dos Santos. He later signed with Strikeforce and arguably had the biggest victory of his career when Fedor Emelianenko’s decade-long winning streak ended through the opening round presentation.
After a loss to Alistair Overeem in a heavyweight grand prix, Werdum re-signed with the UFC and racked up more high-profile wins. He won the title with a surprising victory over Cain Velasquez at UFC 188, taking advantage of his extra acclimatization time to tire the champion out and gain submission in the third round. In his first title defense, he was knocked out in the first round by reigning champion Stipe Miocic.
