Werdum: Hopefully I can knock Browne out
“Hopefully I can knock him out, why not?” said Fabricio Werdum. “People think no but maybe I will knock him down or knock him out. I can surprise him and people.”
Marcos Villegas for FightHub recently sat down with Fabricio Werdum at Kings MMA, ahead of his fight Saturday night with Travis Browne in the main event of UFC on FOX 11.
Werdum, 36, is a two-time ADCC champion, who tapped out Fedor Emelianenko and Big Nog. He thinks the fight will inevitably go to the ground, and he thinks that is where he will win it. Or he may win it standing.
“The last fight I had was in Brazil against Big Nog, I was waiting for Cain, but he had shoulder surgery,” said Werdum. “We can’t wait any longer. It’s been just about ten months without a fight so of course I need to fight. I can’t be away one year without a fight. People would ask, ‘Who is Fabricio Werdum?’ If I waited for Cain. So Master Cordeiro and I decided that it’s important to fight once more, so we fight with Travis Browne which will be a great fight…”
“There will be a lot of situations in the fight because it is a heavyweight fight and sure it’s different. It’s five rounds, so it’s almost impossible it won’t go to the ground. A knockdown a kick or in guard.
“People in guard don’t have confidence. So I want to see if he has confidence in guard and on the ground. I have the confidence because of my BJJ background. I am sure we will go to the ground.”
“He’s going to train wrestling to avoid takedowns because his strength is on his feet. But I am confidence in my standup as well. They saw when I fought Nelson that my stand up is good, that I am not only a BJJ fighter.
“Before, you could say that, because I was still learning Muay Thai but I have confidence in standing with him. I won’t be desperate for a takedown. I know it will happen. And hopefully I can knock him out, why not? People think no but maybe I will knock him down or knock him out. I can surprise him and people.”
“What makes the difference is physical training. At this level in the UFC we are all very close skill wise. We all train in everything. Before people wouldn’t train in BJJ or Muay Thai but now everyone knows a bit of everything. So the level now is very equal and what makes the difference is the physical training. It is so important and makes a difference to be able to handle five rounds or three rounds. But today, proper conditioning is 70% of the fight. Skills and techniques are equal now so that really makes a difference.”
