Werdum: Everybody knows Browne doesn’t have it on the ground

UFC heavyweight Cain Velasquez is recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, and hopes to return by November. If all goes well, he will face the winner of winner of FabricioWerdum vs. Travis Browne at UFC on Fox 11: Werdum vs. Browne on April 19 in Orlando, FL.

“I think Travis Browne might be a little bit better on his feet, with his overall length and power and just the way he moves, he’s pretty quick,” said Velasquez recently. “I think Werdum on the ground, he’s really good, but Travis Browne hasn’t been on the ground yet… I’m kind of favoring Browne a little bit more.”

Werdum told FOX Sports that Velasquez is favoring Browne because Browne would be the easier fight. Werdum, 36, is a two-time ADCC champion, who tapped out Fedor Emelianenko.

“Everybody knows that he doesn’t have it on the ground,” said Werdum of Browne. “He goes on the ground, he tries to stand up. He doesn’t have confidence.”

“[Velasquez] knows when he takes down me, it’s just starting the fight on the ground. [Fighting Browne] is much better for him for sure.”

Werdum said he has five rounds to take Browne down, and believes in his own stand up.

“I’m confident in my standup, too,” said Werdum. “I’m not just a jiu-jitsu guy. I’m a complete fighter now. I have the best coach in the world in Rafael Cordeiro. He showed me a lot of tricks.”

Ghengis Khan famously said the three best things in life are “To crush your enemies and see them fall at your feet, to take their horses and belongings, and to hear the lamentation of their women.”

For Werdum, it would be ending Fedor’s 10-year undefeated streak, the birth of his daughter, and the one that has eluded him – winning a major MMA title.

Werdum was asked how he would order them if he beat Velasquez for the UFC belt?

“I don’t know,” he said. “I want that, I want the feeling and then I’ll find out. I want the belt. That’s it.”