MMAFighting was first to report the match-up though the UFC has yet to confirm anything is officially in place.

While Russow may not match Werdum in terms of fame, few can match the 35-year old’s current winning streak which he improved to eleven straight with a win over Jon Olav Einemo in January. He holds an overall record of 15-1 including four victories inside the Octagon.

The 15-5 Werdum is also coming off a win, having outpointed Roy Nelson at UFC 143 in a highly-entertaining affair. He has also found past success inside the ring against Antonio Silva, Gabriel Gonzaga, and Fedor Emelianenko.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC

Werdum earned a decision on all three judges’ scorecards Saturday night in the co-main event of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit, ending a short one-fight losing skid suffered at the hands of Alistair Overeem in Strikeforce. For Werdum, the bout marked the beginning of his second stint in the UFC. The first ended when current UFC heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos knocked him out. Werdum left the company and signed with Strikeforce so that he could face Fedor Emelianenko, eventually defeating  the iconic Russian, earning him a place in MMA history as the first fighter to legitimate finish Emelianenko.

“I hope I can fight in June in Brazil. I get there (Monday) to be part of (TUF Brasil), but I won’t stop training, even because the whole team will be together there,” said Werdum, in a recent interview with TATAME, on what he hopes is next for him. “God bless me, the UFC will give me the chance to bring this joy to people in Brazil.”

Werdum has no planned opponent lined up, but rumors of a possible match with Frank Mir to excite him. “If it’s Frank Mir, excellent. If it’s not, it’s okay. I just wanna show I’m in the Top 10 of the division.”

The UFC is planning a card for this summer from Sao Paulo, Brazil, with a UFC middleweight championship bout between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen likely filling the main event spot. A Dos Santos-Overeem fight has also been rumored for the lineup.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Nelson and Werdum both recently opened up about tonight’s fight where it was clear each was eyeing UFC gold in 2012.

“I’m happy to be back in the UFC. I’m ready to prove my value and to show all the work I have been doing the last couple months. I think I deserved to return after a few fights in Strikeforce. For sure Roy Nelson is dangerous and a very tough fight. It is important for me to make (an impression) in my first fight back in the Octagon,” explained Werdum before making his true intentions known.

“I want the UFC title. I want a rematch with Junior dos Santos after he beats Alistair Overeem.”

An out-of-shape and perhaps overconfident Werdum was knocked out by Dos Santos in the Brazilian champ’s 2008 debut. Dos Santos is expected to face Overeem this summer though no specific date/location has been set.

As far as Nelson, who also lost to “Cigano” but in far less devastating fashion, he also believes a win over someone with Werdum’s credentials will likely put him within one more victory of an opportunity to win the belt.

“Beating Werdum will change the landscape of the division for me,” said Nelson. “From a ranking perspective, I think this win would take me to #3 or #4. I am here to win the world title, that’s my goal. Even when I lost to Junior, I didn’t slip down (the rankings) too much and I got a lot of fans for that fight. I’m the guy in the division who is having fun fights and I’m hoping to have another (tonight).”

Preliminary pairings for UFC 143 fire up at 7:00 PM EST on Facebook/FX with PPV action beginning at 10:00 PM EST.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The evolution of Werdum’s game is a direct product of his relationship with Chute Boxe, now Kings MMA, trainer Rafael Cordeiro who is known for his work with strikers like Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio Rua, and Anderson Silva. The 14-5-1 Werdum spoke some about how far his stand-up has come, as well as his bout this weekend against Roy Nelson and what lies beyond, in an interview with the UFC’s website where his comfort with all phases of MMA was clearly evident.

“I’m training everyday with my master Rafael Cordeiro. A few months ago I got my black belt in Muay Thai, and I’m ready to strike the whole time if I need to,” explained Werdum.

While Nelson has similarly showed skill on the ground and when it comes to exchanging leather, Werdum isn’t concerned about encountering anything he hasn’t seen before as he understands any opponent he’ll face in the UFC poses significant danger.

“Roy Nelson is a good boxer and good grappler, but I’m ready for him and to prove my value in the Octagon,” said Werdum. “I’m very happy to be back, this is an opportunity that I was waiting for a long time and now I’m ready to take it.”

Werdum believes a win over Nelson will put him within sniffing distance of the UFC heavyweight championship. Still, he’s not looking past Nelson nor does he have a preference in who he’ll face to eventually earn the company’s gold.

“I just will look for my title shot against anyone that will be in my way. This is a very good division, with so many good fighters, and I will look for my spotlight and my way for the title.”

Werdum-Nelson will be featured on the PPV portion of UFC 143 with the main card broadcast starting at 10:00 PM EST. Preliminary pairings air on Facebook/FX three hours earlier.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/AFFLICTION

Werdum won three of his last four as a member of Strikeforce, including a stunning submission victory over Fedor Emelianenko. Werdum (14-5-1) competed in the UFC before, winning two fights before falling to current UFC heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos.

Nelson, a winner of The Ultimate Fighter, got himself back on track after losses to dos Santos and Frank Mir by defeating Mirko Filipovic via third round TKO earlier this year.

News of the bout was first reported MMAWeekly.

UFC 143 will be headlined by an interim UFC welterweight championship match between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC

Now a video has surfaced featuring two two competitors in fine form despite a significant difference in size, as Wanderlei Silva, while preparing for his fight with Cung Le at UFC 139, hooked up with Fabricio Werdum for a sparring session.

Though Werdum was the much larger opponent, “The Axe Murderer” seemed to be in rare form, displaying quick strikes and the aggressive style leading to so many memorable victories in the ring.

Silva went on to defeat Le via second round TKO, improving his career record to 34-11-1 and also taking home “Fight of the Night” honors.

Check out the two Brazilian bombers with Chute Boxe ties going at it below…

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/STRIKEFORCE

The highly decorated grappler, who finished second in the 2011 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, is bidding to rebound from a lackluster performance against Overeem in the first round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix; a bout the Brazilian views as a learning experience.

“I still have some fights under my Strikeforce contract and I don’t know yet if my fight in December will be for them or for UFC,” Werdum told Sherdog. “What I can say is that I learned a lot after the Overeem fight and I saw some things I needed to fix. I had a lot of strength and brutal power training, and I’m feeling much stronger. I’m sure I’ll have a great victory and I’ll dominate in 2012.”

“Vai Cavalo” has competed in the biggest MMA promotions in the world, enjoying stints in PRIDE, the UFC and Strikeforce, where he handed the legendary Fedor Emelianenko his first legitimate defeat.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

The thought is not lost on Werdum who went 2-2 in the promotion before being bounced in October 2008 as he recently revealed in a conversation with Tatame where he discussed his current mindset including an interest in not only going back to the UFC but avenging his loss against Junior dos Santos, a defeat the Brazilian said he was ultimately thankful for.

“That time ‘Cigano’ defeated me it was the first time I was knocked out…I had been defeated before, but on a judge’s decision. This was the only time I was knocked out,” Werdum said of his performance at UFC 90. “He went there and proved himself to be pretty good. I want to win this Grand Prix – to earn a belt because I’ve never won one – and fight the UFC’s champion. If it’s (Dos Santos), I’d be a dream coming true. To do this unifier fight and against ‘Cigano’, a rematch, it’d be perfect.”

Ironically the knock out actually served as a wake-up call for Werdum who used the loss as motivation to improve himself as a fighter. Ten months later “Vai Cavalo” made his Strikeforce debut and hasn’t looked back since with opening round submissions of Mike Kyle and Fedor Emelianekno in addition to a Unanimous Decision over Grand Prix semi-finalist Antonio Silva.

Werdum will attempt to join Silva in the next round of the organization’s heavyweight tournament on June 18 when he faces devastating striker Alistair Overeem in Dallas, Texas. Though the two were originally set to scrap in April, and the delay will result in a twelve-month hiatus from the ring for Werdum, the 14-4-1 submission-specialist has maintained a positive attitude in regards to the situation even if he hasn’t been a fan of all the time off.

“These things happen, it happens to everybody…I don’t think it’s a bad thing to happen – it was supposed to happen this way. It’s like what happened to me when I left UFC and then I beat Fedor up, so it was supposed to happen…I believe it was meant to be this way and we’ll wait. I had slowed things down on the training, but I’m speeding things up now…I’ve beat him once and I want to do it again and prove the world I’m among the top athletes.”

“It’ll be an exact year since I last fought,” he continued. “And in my mind June is the month in which I beat Fedor so it’s my month, it’s a special month, so that’s my thought.”

Werdum may be onto something as the 33-year old is 3-0 in his career during the month of June including his professional debut in 2002 and a first-round TKO of Brandon Vera at UFC 85. However, whether or not he can make it four straight remains to be seen as Overeem has evolved into one of the sport’s most formidable heavyweights since falling to Werdum at a PRIDE event in 2006. That being said, Werdum was also quick to point out he isn’t the same fighter he was back then either.

“I’m training a lot so I can defend myself from Overeem’s (attacks), because he’s strong (and) everybody’s saying he’s evolved a lot, but I have also evolved. People say Overeem is on a good (win streak), but so (am) I. Since I left UFC I’ve only won, so he (may) have evolved but so did I. I don’t keep thinking about my opponent. Of course I watch the fights, I watch what he’s done – I have to know what he’s good at, I have to know his weakness – but I mostly worry about my training.”

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

With the close of the year, Five Ounces of Pain is here to bring you our annual awards as we wind things down and get read for the adventures 2011 will undoubtedly bring. Over the next few days we will announce our winners in somewhat unique categories with a final batch of standard distinctions handed out on Friday, December 31.

As always, 5 Oz. invites our readers to offer their own opinions in the “Comments” section on who should have taken home the hardware (or in this case digital love). We would not be here without you, and rest assured the Staff not only appreciates your contributions from a “page view” standpoint, but genuinely enjoys reading our community’s take on topics. Have an incredibly fun, albeit safe, holiday week!

— The “Who Saw That Coming?” Award —

Fabricio Werdum submits Fedor Emelianenko: This was supposed to be another “tune up fight” for Fedor Emelianenko on his road to the Strikeforce heavyweight title. Werdum was looked at as a very good fighter with outstanding Jiu-Jitsu but most people’s lasting memory of him prior to this fight was seeing him get his clock cleaned by Junior dos Santos. Plus, Fedor is Fedor. He was practically undefeated, he was unstoppable, he was a robot, he was frickin’ Fedor! When the fight started, it looked like another cake walk for “The Last Emperor”. He immediately dropped Werdum and then pounced on him for the finish. Then it happened. Out of nowhere the Brazilian used Fedor’s aggressiveness and the cage to his advantage, locked on a triangle choke, and forced Fedor to give a single tap, but possibly the most memorable tap in MMA history. The once unbeatable had been beaten.

— Beatdown of the Year —

Josh Koscheck vs. Georges St. Pierre / UFC 124: Not to be confused with “Fight of the Year”. Though there were plenty of options to consider, including Roger Huerta’s loss to Eddie Alvarez and Cain Velasquez’s title-win over Brock Lesnar, in the end GSP’s rivalry-ending smackdown of Koscheck prevailed. For months upon months fans listened to Koscheck spew his venom at Georges St. Pierre, questioning everything from the welterweight champion’s ability to strike to his hushed demeanor and preference for spandex trunks. An entire season of the Ultimate Fighter was dedicated to the rivalry he seemed intent on creating even if GSP wasn’t interested in engaging outside of the cage. However, once the two met in the Octagon at UFC 124 it became clear the most important jabs in MMA are not of the verbal variety. Koscheck left the event having lost all five rounds, sporting a broken orbital bone, and undoubtedly reflecting on how much more he needs to learn before he’s on the same level as the French-Candian champ. He was completely out-classed for twenty-four of the twenty-five minutes he spent in the ring, and though he may not have been rendered unconscious he most certainly exited Montreal the victim of a “beatdown”. Whether or not Team St. Pierre’s “male nurse”, i.e. Brad Tate, sent him a “Get Well Soon” card after the action concluded is still unknown…

— Most Meteoric Rise —

Anthony Pettis: Over 3.5 million. That’s how many times videos of Pettis delivering his amazing kick off the cage have been viewed on YouTube. It’s crazy to think that just one year ago Pettis was coming off the lone loss of his career against Bart Palaszewski, and now he’s one of the most popular fighters in the world. Pettis was able to rack up several impressive wins over the course of 2010, but none was bigger than his WEC Lightweight Championship win over Ben Henderson a few weeks ago. Not only did he deliver a kick that will be on MMA highlight reels for all of eternity, he also managed to showcase excellent skills in all areas of the sport. He’s next in line for the UFC Lightweight Championship, and after his star-making performance at WEC 53 he can be sure that everyone will be watching his next fight very closely in the hopes of seeing his next mind-bending maneuver.

News of the potential tournament was reported by Tatame, who also explained Strikeforce would be planning to promote at least part of the process on PPV. However, Five Ounces of Pain contacted Strikeforce representative Mike Afromowitz who clarified the official situation, saying, “The news being circulated about this tournament is just rumors.” Clearly, as enticing as it sounds to see, the aforementioned scenario’s actual occurrence is by no means set in stone at this point in time.

Also affecting the likelihood of rumor becoming reality are ongoing negotiations with Fedor’s camp. Though the status of Emelianenko’s contract extension is still up in the air, if he does indeed add to his present deal and throw his name in the alleged group he will bring valuable experience with him into the bracket. The highly-ranked Russian was the winner of PRIDE’s 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix with wins over Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman and dual victories on the same night against Naoya Ogawa and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the final.

Given Strikeforce’s current roster, if the Grand Prix were to take place, it seems other entrants are likely to include any or all of the company’s top heavyweights like Andrei Arlovski, Antonio Silva, Sergei Kharitonov, and Brett Rogers.

PHOTO CREDIT – Susumu Nagao

Werdum has used his travels as a way to remain active while in recovery, as he recently explained in a conversation with Sherdog.

On the topic, the Brazilian said, “I used this trip to make a couple of good contacts in Abu Dhabi and Japan. Strikeforce wants me to return in March against Fedor (Emelianenko) or (Alistair) Overeem, but I’m looking forward to having a fight before that one. I don’t have an exclusive contract with Strikeforce – only for the U.S. – and I got a nice proposal in Abu Dhabi and another one in Japan.”

With Werdum expressing interest in fighting oversees in February a return stateside for a March match up is highly unlikely and could push his Strikeforce return to the middle or end of 2011.

So this question remains for the Strikeforce faithful: Which heavyweight bout will we get to see in the coming New Year? With Strikeforce champ Overeem tied up in K-1 and Emelianenko/M-1 Global’s ongoing contract negotiations, Werdum just added a new dimension to the complexity that is the Strikeforce heavyweight divisions’ future.

Werdum is 14-4-1 overall and the only fighter legitimately beat heavyweight icon Emelianenko. He also holds notable wins in his career over Gabriel Gonzaga, Brandon Vera, Antonio Silva, and the afore-mentioned Overeem.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Dana White Discusses his Initial Meeting with Fedor Emelianenko (Versus.com)

UFC and THQ Extend Partnership for “Undisputed” Title (MMAConvert.com)

Martin Kampmann is Ready to Expose Jake Shields in the Ring (Heavy.com)

Claude Patrick Not Happy with UFC 120 Win (FIGHT! Magazine)

Joe Rogan Does His Best Mauro Renallo Impersonation (MMAScraps.com)

Mike Pyle Talks About Handing John Hatahway his First Career Loss (WatchKalibRun.com)

Chris Horodecki Could Be Fighting Donald Cerrone at WEC 53 (CagePotato.com)

Josh Barnett has a Message for Fabricio Werdum (MiddleEasy.com)

Tito Ortiz Talks Health, No Longer Drinking (MMAFighting.com)

Before I get into the actual “pick em” part of this article let me preclude the breakdown of bouts by saying one of the things about Mixed Martial Arts I’ve always loved is its unpredictable nature. I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction with a little insight/opinion included in the deal, but readers would be wise to avoid laying down money on my attempts to glimpse into the future. Beyond that, please don’t hesitate to share your own thoughts on any or all of the scheduled fights in the “Comments” section below, and let’s get this show on the road…

Derrick Burnsed vs. Bobby Stack

At 5-0 Burnsed is clearly is doing something right in the ring even if he’s never beaten anyone of particular note. As such, Stack will be his biggest test to date since he’s 2-0 in Strikeforce, but it also needs to be pointed out he hasn’t stepped in the promotion’s cage since November 2008. I think Burnsed will pull out the win since he appears to be a submission-based fighter who is comfortable tapping opponents from his back. He also seems to have decent power as well. Stack has gone to decision in his last three fights so it stands to reason the same could occur at tonight’s event, especially with the ring-rust brought on by his recent inactivity. That means 15-minutes’ worth of opportunities for Burnsed to latch onto his limbs or neck and finish things off along the way.

Winner – Derrick Burnsed via Submission Round 2

Gareth Joseph vs. Yancy Madeiros

Fans unfamiliar with Madeiros should keep a watch out for the rising middleweight. At 8-0 he’s shown himself to possess both knockout power and solid grappling skills. Joseph hasn’t fought in a year so he definitely appears to have his work cut out for him. However, three of his four professional wins have been the result of a first round knockout, so it’s not as if he can’t land a punch at some point in the fight that sets up the beginning of the end for “Frisson”. I think the involved match-up should lead to a stoppage and result in a very entertaining scrap. However, Strikeforce has a history of ending broadcasts early with undercard bouts left on the cutting room floor, so I’m doubtful any viewers at home will ever get a chance to see it.

Winner – Yancy Madeiros via TKO Round 2

Bret Bergmark vs. Vagner Rocha

If winners were determined by “best nickname” then Bret “The Angry Hick” Bergmark would be one helluva tough draw to beat. Unfortunately for him, outcomes are typically influenced by individual ability and in that regard I think Rocha has the edge. He’s 5-0 since debuting in February 2009 (including a pair of wins in Bellator). Though I suspect he’ll be prepared based on his Cesar Gracie JJ training partners, the 36-year old Bergmark has only fought once in the last 4 1/2 years and should struggle to maintain pace in all areas, especially when rolling on the mat. He has the proverbial “puncher’s chance” but other than that I think Rocha should be able to maintain a perfect record in the ring.

Winner – Vagner Rocha via Submission Round 1

Chris Cope vs. Ron Keslar

Keslar has won his last four fights while Cope is coming off the first knockout loss of his career so it seems likely their mindsets will be drastically different entering tonight’s bout. It’s an interesting match-up of styles in that Keslar appears to focus on mat-work while Cope on stand-up, but I’m not overly confident the pairing will lead to much more than a plodding decision win for one of the two. Neither has shown a great talent for finishing opponents and both are making their Strikeforce debuts. I can see there being a lot of “feeling out” on their feet, especially from Cope, and lay-and-praying on the ground, especially from Keslar, based on their particular skill-sets and the fact each will be attempting to win on the biggest stage they’ve competed on thus far in their young careers. Beyond that I think it’s a coin-flip as far as determining who will win. Since, at least according to the original line-up and fact it’s a catch-weight bout, Cope was a late replacement I think he’ll gas out at some point and end up spending the bulk of the bout on his back.

Winner – Ron Keslar via Decision

Josh Thomson vs. Pat Healy

I’m a fan of both fighters for different reasons and am looking forward to their bout even if Healy isn’t a particularly “sexy” opponent for a top divisional contender like Thomson to be facing since he may not be known to a lot of fans. However, “Bam Bam” shouldn’t be dismissed because his only appearance in the UFC was a loss or based on his less-than impressive overall record. The fact is Healy is a terrific grappler with a ton of experience and wins over Carlos Condit, Paul Daley, and Dan Hardy earlier in his career. He’s also won three consecutive fights and five of his last six (with a decision loss sandwiched between the dubyas). Thomson is a solid striker with above-average wrestling to back his punches/kicks/knees up and had won eight fights in a row before losing the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship via decision to Gilbert Melendez last December.

I expect this particular match-up will feature fireworks from both and have the crowd on their feet at more than one point. Look for Healy to shoot in to keep Thomson on his back for as much time as possible with “Punk” firing away with knees, or punches from the sprawl, to make Healy think twice. I think Thomson will win based on athleticism and having more ways to beat his opponent than can be said in return. Healy has been knocked out, submitted, and out-pointed a handful of times while the former 155-pound champ has never been tapped out and only TKO’d once in nineteen in-ring appearances. That being said, I also won’t be surprised if Healy is able to pull off an upset decision win because he’s certainly talented enough to do so.

Winner – Josh Thomson via TKO Round 3

Scott Smith vs. Cung Le

I can hardly wait for the high-level jiujitsu and wrestling ability that will undoubtedly be on display when Smith and Le lock horns in the cage! I can also hardly wait for pigs to fly! Now that I have your attention, based on their respective styles it’s fairly obvious 99% of this bout will take place while standing with the other 1% reserved for whoever gets knocked down/out first. Le’s problem in their original match-up was conditioning and, to an extent, his “warrior spirit”, as I recall him being en route to a decision win but still moving forward while gassed out rather than playing it safe and letting the third round expire. He won’t be coming off a 21-month break from action while filming movies rather than training so I don’t think cardio will be a problem, and I also believe Le to be intelligent enough to have learned from his previous loss to Smith. As such, I think he’ll be able to seal the deal against his fellow hard-hitting Californian this time around. Then again, Smith is known as “Hands of Steel” for a reason, and he’s impossible to count out in any fight based on his previous performances in the ring.

Winner – Cung Le via Decision

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vs. Jan Finney

Records and talent aside, how could anyone ever pick a “Cuddles” to beat a “Cyborg”? Moving on, as I said in this week’s “Grappling with Issues”, though Santos is unlike any female striker let alone female fighter seen thus far in women’s MMA, “Finney has been in the ring against a few females with above-average hands (Erin Toughill for example) and remained conscious throughout save for a single loss to Julie Kedzie.” I don’t think she’ll immediately be overwhelmed by Santos, but it seems pretty clear based on both female’s overall abilities she will eventually be. “Cyborg” has been out of action since January and will be looking to hang a new head in the Santos Family Room, as her husband Evangelista did ten days ago in regards to Marius Zaromskis, so expect some hate-filled flurries to end Finney’s night.

Winner – Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos via TKO Round 2

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum

I could break down the greatness that is Emelianenko but instead I’ll leave it at a single word – “Fedor”. Werdum is a world-class competitor and currently has one of, if not the, best BJJ games in the heavyweight division. Even if Emelianenko knocks him down he’s still a major threat to procure an armbar or triangle-choke from the bottom. He also has underrated striking that continues to improve on a per-fight basis thanks to his time with Chute Boxe. “Vai Cavalo” has only been finished once in eighteen fights and, though Fedor clearly has knockout power, he doesn’t have the speed or diversity of strikes that led to Junior Dos Santos’ TKO win over Werdum at UFC 90. Werdum also appeared to be in perhaps the worst shape of his career entering the bout, and given the opportunity attached to potentially beating Emelianenko that won’t be an issue this time around.

As far as how I see the actual fight unfolding, I have a feeling Werdum will try to keep things standing for the first round unless he sees an opening to work on Emelianenko from the top. He’s got good power to back up his Muay Thai techniques, including the option of leg kicks to maintain distance, and Brett Rogers and Andrei Arlovski showed promise when trading with the stoic Russian before eventually falling victim to him. The reality is that Fedor hasn’t gone to decision in five years and it could be interesting to see how his less-than toned body reacts if Werdum is able to make him work for fifteen minutes. However, he hasn’t seen the judges’ scorecards in that long a period because of how amazing a fighter he is, and in that regard I can’t pick against him. He’s escaped every difficult position he’s ever been put in and I don’t think Werdum is good enough to expose any weaknesses he possesses (assuming he is actually human and does possess some).

Winner – Fedor Emelianenko via TKO Round 2

While former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski has not been announced as having officially signed with the organization, with the recent signing sweepstakes by Strikeforce that has included fighters such as Dan Henderson and Bobby Lashley in recent days, no athlete seems out of reach at this point for the rapidly rising fight promotion.

Werdum and Arlovski are no stranger as the two highly respected heavyweights first met up at UFC 70 in April of 2007. A bout “The Pitbull” out of Belarus ended on top of via unanimous decision.

Arlovski hasn’t seen any action outside of beating down a tyrant on MTV’s Bully Beatdown since being knocked out in consecutive outings to the likes of Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Roger, while Werdum recently bounced back from a knockout loss suffered to Junior dos Santos the UFC by racking up back to back wins over Mike Kyle and Antonio Silva.

“I must fight in February or March, and I imagine that it could be against (Andrei) Arlovski”, said Werdum in a recent conversation with Tatame.com. “I lost to him by 2×1, it was an ugly fight, nobody liked, but I never choose opponents, I can fight anyone, but then I wanna fight Fedor”, Werdum said, talking about his last fight, against Silva.

“It was one of the toughest fights I’ve ever done, for sure. He’s very tough guy, he’s strong and has a heavy hand”

At first Werdum revealed to Tatame.com that the fight had been agreed to, but then went on to express doubt in the match-up coming to fruition, explaining, “My manager called me asking if I agree to fight him, and I said yes and that I was ready, but I think this fight won’t happen anymore. He’ll probably fight for Sengoku’s title. Strikeforce made a partnership with Dream, so my manager said I can also fight in Japan, at Dream”.

However, Silva’s manager Alex Davis has since had this to say in regards to the potential match-up between the two, “I spoke with them and they said everything is ok. I’m in Brazil and I don’t know more about it, but I think it’s gonna happen”.

Stay tuned to 5 Oz. as we continue to keep you up to date on this possible fight.

UPDATE: Since the posting of this story, all the usual sources are claiming to be the first reporting  that this fight has been confirmed by sources close to both camps.  Strikeforce has not as of this update confirmed the match up.

ADCC is a submission tournament held every two years from various platforms ranging across the globe featuring the most dangerous ground fighters in the business.

The event featured a variety of notable mixed martial artists, including Strikeforce heavyweight Fabricio Werdum who ended up grabbing championship honors in the 218+ pound category.

TUF veteran Vinny Magalhaes came just shy of earning championships in the -218 pound category and the Absolute Division, instead picking up third place in both competitions.

Jeff Monson ended up scoring third place in the 218+ pound division, while Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos also placed third in the women’s 132+ pound tournament.

The big winner of the event was Bráulio Estima from Brazil, who was ultimately crowned the 2009 Absolute ADCC Champion. Estima currently has plans to make his mixed martial arts debut in the near future.

No stranger to Overeem, Brailian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum has his own thoughts on the reasons behind why the man he holds a previous submission victory over has managed to avoid fighting on American soil for this extensive amount of a time.

“I cannot be 100-percent right about the reason he is taking so long to solve his issues and come to fight, but it seems either that the gummy berry juice he is taking to give him super powers is (causing) him to avoid fighting here in America or he is afraid of having no arms to fight after facing me one more time,” said Werdum in a recent conversation with MMA Weekly.

Being the gentleman he is, and understanding Overeem’s attachment to the belt, Werdum would be happy to allow Alistair to salvage a keepsake from his time spent as champion should the two meet in the future, explaining,”I will let him take some pictures with my belt and he will be able to keep good memories from his time as a Strikeforce champion.”

As it stands right now, Overeem has several kickboxing bouts set up overseas through the end of this year, but no news is available as to when he will be able to defend the Strikeforce heavyweight title.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com was recently able to confirm the signing of the bout through Strikeforce Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz.

Werdum was slated to face off with current Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem before a nagging hand injury forced Overeem to the sidelines.

The black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu first made his name in mixed martial arts as Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s Jiu-Jitsu instructor during the PRIDE days and has since gone on to compile an impressive record of 11-4 while competing primarily for the PRIDE and UFC promotions. Werdum has gone 3-3 in his last six bouts while picking up wins over Aleksander Emelianenko, Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera, and dropping fights to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Andrei Arlovski and Junior dos Santos.

Fellow UFC veteran Mike Kyle took a lot of people by surprise when he gave a heavily favored Rafael Cavalcante a vicious beating en route to a second round TKO in their light-heavyweight contest that was held at “Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields” on June 6. Kyle will be returning to heavyweight for this fight with Werdum, where he has previously picked up wins over fighters such as Tsuyoshi Kosaka, Wes Sims and “Scary” Jerry Vrbanovich.

Fabricio Werdum is currently preparing for the most important professional fight of his life.

On August 15 the renowned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt will be facing off with Dutch wrecking ball Alistair Overeem for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship on the main card of “Strikeforce: Carano vs.Cyborg“.

The two are far from strangers as they had previously faced off at “PRIDE: Total Elimination Absolute” in May of 2006. A bout which Werdum had his hand raised in victory following a second round kimura submission from his guard.

The towering Brazilian knows full well that Alistair isn’t the same fighter that he faced over three years ago. Most notably, Overeem is a good 40 pounds heavier than he was in their previous encounter, with muscles packed on top of muscles. Something Werdum plans on using against Overeem when the two meet for the second time.

“As I changed, he changed too,” Werdum was quoted as saying in a recent interview with Tatame.com. “I know he’s heavier and stronger, but there is one thing: the stronger and heavier, the guy can get tired fast.

“In our other fight, he gave me a heat in the first round and began to get tired in the second. I can use this strategy again, just wait for him to get tired, but if I have a way to finalize before, I will.”

Make no mistake about it, Fabricio has no illusions of going in there to knock Overeem unconscious standing. He plans on taking the fearsome knockout specialist to his world as soon as humanly possible; the canvas.

“I’ll bring the fight to my area, but that is thing: the fight starts standing,” said the 6’4″ heavyweight. “I’ll train standing as on the ground, but I’ll give more emphasis to the ground.”

However, talking about taking Overeem to the ground, and doing it are two entirely different things. Something Werdum already knows all too well.

“It’s difficult to take Overeem to the ground,” admitted the Chute Boxe trained submission specialist. “In the other time that we fought, I couldn’t give him any takedown, and he took me down five times, so I was forced to fight standing with him. The strategy is this: take to the ground as soon as possible and submit.”

Alistair Overeem is set to make his first Strikeforce title defense as it has recently been announced that “The Demolition Man” will face off with Fabricio Werdum on August 15.

The heavyweight championship match-up will take place on the main card of “Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg” which is slated to take place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com recently received confirmation of the bout through a press release issued by Strikeforce.

Overeem is without a doubt one of the most dangerous heavyweight fighters in the sport today. A veteran of over forty professional mixed martial arts bouts, Overeem has compiled wins over the likes of Vitor Belfort and Sergei Kharitonov during the course of his career.

Overeem obtained the Strikeforce championship by stopping Paul Buentello with a vicious series of knees to the body in November of 2007. He was expected to meet Brett Rogers in June but a broken hand suffered while sending numerous bouncers to the hospital prevented that from happening.

This will mark Werdum’s first return to action since his disappointing knockout loss at the hands of Junior Dos Santos at UFC 90 in October of 2008. Werdum is widely considered to be among the elite heavyweight fighters in the world today with victories over highly regarded competitors such as Gabriel Gonzaga and Aleksander Emelianenko to his credit.

Overeem and Werdum are no strangers as a previous bout between the two at PRIDE – Total Elimination Absolute in May of 2006 ended with Overeem winding up on the losing end of a kimura submission.