UFC 188 VS. CAIN VELASQUEZ
Eight months after dispatching Hunt to claim his segment of the heavyweight title, Werdum and Velasquez were back in Mexico City for their unification bout in the main event of UFC 188.
Velasquez had re-established his standing as the best heavyweight on the planet with four straight dominant efforts following his initial loss to Junior Dos Santos in November 2011, but injuries had become a constant hindrance and cause for concern for the American Kickboxing Academy product. Between filming TUF Latin America and the knee injury that scuttled their initial meeting at UFC 180, it had been 20 months between fights for Velasquez and many wondered if that inactivity would factor into the outcome.
The returning champion came out pushing the torrid pace that he was known for, taking the fight to Werdum, refusing to give the interim titleholder a chance to breathe. But as the round continued, Werdum slowly started chipping away and having success while Velasquez’ output slowed noticeably.
Although Velasquez continued to be the aggressor to start the second, Werdum increasingly found a home for his own offerings, handling Velasquez’ pressure better than anyone had ever before and assuming control of the fight just two minutes into the frame. With each passing minute, Werdum widened the gap, hanging on his superior conditioning to leave Velasquez beaten and bloodied as he staggered back to his corner after the round.
With Werdum pumping out the jab to start the middle stanza, Velasquez did as he was instructed between rounds and shot for a takedown, briefly putting the Brazilian on the canvas. When they returned to the feet, Velasquez connected with a head kick that only seemed to spur on Werdum even more, as the interim champ continued to unload offense.
Just after the two-minute mark of the round, Velasquez shot forward for a takedown with no setup and Werdum happily accepted, snatching up a guillotine choke and cinching it in as soon as his back hit the canvas. Velasquez tapped almost immediately and with that, Werdum became the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion.
Five years after shocking the world and beating Fedor Emelianenko, the Brazilian veteran solidified his place in the pantheon of heavyweight greats by ascending to the throne in the UFC by battering and ultimately submitting the man many felt was destined to be the greatest heavyweight of all-time.
