UFC 188’s main event showed one thing: There’s no such thing as a sure thing in the sport of MMA. Before his loss to Fabricio Werdum on the Mexico City fight card, Cain Velasquez was considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters and came into UFC 188 as a 4.5-1 favorite.
However, as soon as the 1st round began, both men came after it and gave it their all. Velasquez scored early takedowns, but Werdum’s increasingly improved striking was on full display. He was so dominant that he battered Velasquez’s face into a grotesque and bloody mess before round thee. After losing the standup battle decisively, Cain decided to force a take-down on the BJJ blackbelt. However, he left his head exposed and was easily submitted by guillotine choke.
So what is next for Werdum after this shocking victory?
The fight that makes the most sense for Fabricio Werdum at this time would be 4th ranked Andrei Arlovski, who is on a 5-fight win streak. This would be an intriguing matchup due to the fact that Arlovski defeated Werdum at UFC 70 over 8 years ago.
The “Pit Bull” is a fan favorite and comes from the older generation of MMA fighters and would make the most sense, considering his 1st round TKO victories over Antonio Silva and Travis Browne; both are in the top tier of the division.
Arlovski has tremendous power in his hands but one thing that should be noted is his incredible and underrated takedown defense. The Belarusian has an 86% takedown defense rate which is best in the Heavyweight division. This could cause troubles for Werdum who likes to finish his opponents on the ground. However, Werdum would probably open at a 2.5 -1 favorite at the very least.
Regardless, the Heavyweight division is now wide open. Cain Velasquez had given off the aura of being unstoppable, but that facade has been lifted after Werdum’s dominant victory. Clearly, this is a shallow division that is up for grabs and there are contenders hungry for a shot at the new champion.
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