UFC 196 Rumors, Preview: Dana White Confirms Fabricio Werdum vs Cain Velasquez Rematch
Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez will battle once again this year after an action-packed June fight that saw the former defeat the latter through guillotine choke to grab the UFC heavyweight title. The rematch, now for Werdum's title, was revealed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship's head, Dana White, last Wednesday.
Velasquez's defeat was actually a major upset at that time because he was considered one of the best fighters in all of mixed martial arts. This time, he has the opportunity to regain that distinction, but he comes in with the pressure of avenging his loss in convincing style. On the other hand, a win by Werdum will put him on the list of the best heavyweight mixed martial artists in history.
The UFC initially planned to match both fighters with separate opponents as some sort of buildup for their rematch. However, they eventually decided to go straight to it for UFC 196. The event is scheduled on Feb. 6 in Las Vegas, but no other fights have been announced as of this posting. The main card will be shown on pay-per-view.
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Velasquez (13-2) has only two defeats in the UFC, same as Werdum (8-2). The 38-year-old Werdum is currently streaking hot, with no defeat in his last six fights. As a matter of fact, he hasn't lost a fight since rejoining the UFC almost four years ago. He is also known for beating another MMA legend, Fedor Emelianenko during his glory days with Strikeforce.
In their last fight, Velasquez, who was the champion then, took the fight to Werdum early on by delivering nonstop striking and constant pressure. However, Werdum apparently came out quite prepared, patiently waiting for two rounds for Velasquez to tire out. The former two-time heavyweight champ tried to take Werdum down, only to be trapped in a guillotine choke.
