Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion who is currently signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL) is named for Fabricio Werdum. Now, he is competing in the Heavyweight division. He is also a 4-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, a two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Heavyweight Champion, and European jiu-jitsu champion. At the time of his departure from the UFC, Werdum was #14 in the UFC heavyweight rankings. Previously, he competed in PRIDE, the UFC, Strikeforce, and Jungle Fight. Previously, he was a Spanish-language commentator for the UFC and often comes to the octagon with the Spanish flag, as well as the Brazilian one. He is nicknamed Vai Cavalo. His highest reach is 77 in or 196 cm. Regarding his MMA record, he has fought 35 matches altogether; out of which he wins 24 and losses 9.
Famous For
- Being a mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion.
- For possessing elite submission skills from both the top and bottom/guard positions.
Source: @youtube
What is the Nationality of Fabricio Werdum?
On 30th July 1977, Fabricio Werdum was born in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. He is Brazilian by nationality and his ethnic background is Mixed. His present age is 43 as of 2020. As per his birth date, his Zodiac sign is Cancer. He follows the Christianity religion. He can fluently speak Portuguese, English, and Spanish, having lived in Spain for 10 years, and as his mother is of Spanish descent. About his parents, he was born to his father, Verlau Werdum, and his wife, Celia Maria Silveira. He also has a sibling, a brother named Felipe Werdum.
Having a keen interest in fighting, he started training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He trained with Marcio Corleta at the Porto Alegre Academy, Winner Behring. After success in competitive Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission grappling, he started his career in MMA. As a purple belt, he started teaching the art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Madrid and other cities of Spain as well.
How was the career of Fabricio Werdum?
- Fabricio’s initial fight was against BJJ specialist Gabriel Gonzaga where he won.
- Then, he made his PRIDE debut against Tom Erikson in 2005 winning via submission.
- His next fight was against Roman Zentsov in PRIDE Final Conflict 2005 where he defeated him.
- His first loss in his MMA career was to Sergei Kharitonov via split decision in PRIDE 30.
- He defeated Jon Olav Einemo by unanimous decision in PRIDE 31 in 2006.
- His first match of the tournament (2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix) was against Dutch fighter Alistair Overeem (win) and then faced former PRIDE Heavyweight Champion, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (loss).
- Facing Alexander Emelianenko in a Heavyweight bout, he won by submission.
- He debuted in the UFC on 21 April 2007 at UFC 70: Nations Collide facing UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski, losing via unanimous decision.
- Then, he trained in Brazil at Chute Boxe Academy, becoming more aggressive and showing improvement in his striking, particularly in Muay Thai attacks.
- Similarly, he fought against Gabriel Gonzaga (win), Brandon Vera (win), Junior dos Santos (loss). After his loss to Junior dos Santos, his contract was terminated by the UFC and he signed with Strikeforce.
- He made his debut at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg on 15 August 2009, against fellow UFC veteran Mike “MAK” Kyle (win).
- He was ranked as the third-best Heavyweight in MMA by Sherdog.
- He made his return to the UFC via contract signing on 8th November 2011. He faced Roy Nelson at UFC 143 on 4 February 2012 where he won the fight via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, and 30–27) earning Fight of the Night honors.
- His next fight was against Mike Russow on 23 June 2012, at UFC 147 where he defeated him.
- He then faced Travis Browne at UFC on Fox 11 in a Heavyweight title eliminator bout where Werdum won the fight.
- What’s more, he was also selected as coach for the inaugural installment of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America alongside Cain Velasquez.
- He also faced Mark Hunt for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 180 where he won the fight which earned Werdum his first Performance of the Night bonus award. Likewise, he defeated Velasquez that took place on 13 June 2015, at UFC 188 in Mexico City.
- He later signed a new, eight-fight contract with the UFC.
- He faced a loss against Stipe Miocic that took place on 14 May 2016, at UFC 198, suffering his first defeat since June 2011.
- However, he later faced Marcin Tybura on 19 November 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura and won the fight.
- He next faced Alexander Volkov on 17th March 2018 at UFC Fight Night 127 where he lost via knockout in the fourth round.
- He was expected to face Alexey Oleynik on 15 September 2018 at UFC Fight Night 136 but was suspended from competition for 2 years due to the substance in question was trenbolone. He then requested a release from the UFC.
- After his return, he faced Alexey Oleynik that took place on May 9, 2020, at UFC 249 where he lost the fight via split decision.
- Next, he faced Alexander Gustafsson on July 26, 2020, at UFC on ESPN 14, the latter making his debut at heavyweight. In the fight, he made his victory earning him the Performance of the Night award.
- He then announced on 16th November 2020 stating he had signed a multi-fight deal with the Professional Fighters League promotion and will compete in the 2021 PFL heavyweight tournament.
- He made his promotional debut against Team Nogueira fighter Renan Ferreira on May 6, 2021, at PFL 3 where he lost his first match.
- He was scheduled to face Brandon Sayles on June 25, 2021, at PFL 6 but he pulled out due to injuries suffered in his last bout.
- At present, he is currently training with Kings MMA.
How was the Coaching Career of Fabricio Werdum?
- Fabricio was the Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach to Mirko Filipović until the year 2006.
- Additionally, he is also associated with Team Werdum BJJ Academy, located in Zagreb, Croatia.
- Surprisingly, he was the head coach in Madrid, Spain for the Barcelo Boxing Gym through 2008.
- He currently teaches in Venice, California at his new school Werdum Combat Team
- He has also signed a contract with Chechen Akhmat Fight Club to represent the club on 4th October 2015. From 2004 to 2006, he lived and trained together with Mirko Filipović in Zagreb, Croatia.
Awards, Championships, and Achievements
- UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time)
- Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time)
- Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Roy Nelson
- Performance of the Night (Three times) vs. Mark Hunt, Cain Velasquez, and Alexander Gustafsson
- 2010 Submission of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on 26 June
- 2010 Upset of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on 26 June
- 2010 Submission of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on 26 June
- 2010 Submission of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on 26 June
- 2010 Upset of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on 26 June
- 2012 All-Violence Second Team
- 2010 Submission of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on 26 June
- 2010 Upset of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on 26 June
- 2015 June Submission of the Month vs. Cain Velasquez
- 2010 Submission of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on 26 June
- 2010 Upset of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on 26 June
- Lineal MMA Heavyweight Champion (two times)
- 2004 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Black Belt Gold Medalist
- 2003 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Black Belt Absolute Bronze Medalist
- 2003 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Black Belt Gold Medalist
- 2003 Pan American Championships Black Belt Absolute Silver Medalist
- 2003 Pan American Championships Black Belt Bronze Medalist
- 2002 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Brown Belt Bronze Medalist
- 2002 Pan American Championships Brown Belt Gold Medalist
- 2001 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Purple Belt Silver Medalist
- 2001 Pan American Championships Purple Belt Absolute Gold Medalist
- 2001 Pan American Championships Purple Belt Gold Medalist
- 2000 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Blue Belt Absolute Gold Medalist
- 2000 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Blue Belt Gold Medalist
- 2000 Pan American Championships Blue Belt Gold Medalist
- 2011 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Silver Medalist
- 2009 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Gold Medalist
- 2007 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Gold Medalist
- 2005 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Bronze Medalist
- 2003 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Absolute Bronze Medalist
- 2003 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Silver Medalist
Who is Fabricio Werdum married to?
Fabricio Werdum is a married man. He married his beautiful wife, Karine Groff Werdum. The couple is tied to the marital knot since 2003. By profession, his wife, Karine is the founder and photographer of onmyway.la and is also involved in Public Relations. The couple is also blessed with two daughters named Joanna and Julia. As of today, the duo is living a happy life in LA, the USA. His sexual orientation is straight and he is not gay.
Source: @disneyparks.disney.go.com
Fabricio made the news when he and a lifeguard rescued drowning teenagers at a beach near his home in Torrance, California. It was in January 2019.
What is the Net Worth of Fabricio Werdum?
Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Fabricio Werdum’s net worth is $1.5 Million as of June 2021. He is currently signed to the Professional Fighters League, where he competes in the Heavyweight division. He has pocketed a huge amount of money from his professional career. He has reportedly earned more than $4.5 million through his fighting career. His highest paycheck was against Miocic for the title match at UFC 198 where he earned $540,000. Whereas his present salary is still to get revealed yet. He is living a lavish lifestyle and his major source of wealth comes from his MMA career.
How tall is Fabricio Werdum?
Fabricio Werdum is a very handsome man with a strong and bodybuilder body type. He has a perfect height of 1.93 m or 6 ft 4 in and his balanced body weight is 110 KG or 242 lbs. He has also inked several tattoos on his body. His hair color is black and his eyes color is brown. Overall, he has got a healthy body.
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