UFC 188 Write-up / Predicitions

Cain Velasquez v. Fabricio Werdum

It’s finally here. I’m so excited for this fight I can hardly contain myself, as the MMA community has been waiting how long?  A year and a half. That’s how long it’s been since Cain last entered the octagon. Put this in persepective: Andrei Arlovsky has gone 4-0 in that same time. But we wait no more, King Cain is finally going to defend the title that he could have easily been stripped of.

Cain Velasquez is 13-1 with 12 of those fights being in the UFC. His lone loss is to Junior Dos Santos, who he went on to beat 2 times after. Sandwiched between those 3 JDS fights are 2 TKO wins over Bigfoot Silva. That’s right, his last 5 fights spamming 2011 to 2013 only included 2 opponents. He finished 11 of his 13 wins by KO or TKO. An absolute freak, who will certainly be a hall of famer no matter what happens from here.

Fabrico Werdum. One of my favorite guys. The best Jiu Jitsu master in the game today, though a casual fan may not know it given only 1 of his current 5 win streak came by submission. That’s because his striking is top level as well.

Alot of people are saying that Cain will make quick work of Werdum and will knock him out in under 2.5. Well Cain has certainly earned that reputation, but I don’t think Werdum is the guy you can make that kind of claim against. His 5 win streak includes other dangerous strikers like Roy Nelson, Travis Browne, and most recently Mark Hunt who he TKO’d. This guy’s chin should not be in question, even in his toughest test of his career. Oh and that Travis Browne fight went to a FIVE ROUND decision. His cardio isn’t that of Cain’s, but this guy has survived dangerous strikers even in championship rounds 4 & 5.

I’m a Jiu Jitsu guy. If you read my write ups, you know that. So it shouldn’t surprise you that I’m on Fabricio Werdum. His striking is very good and his Jiu Jitsu is world class. Cain’s striking is world class, but he has no Jiu Jitsu background. That’s where the scales are tipped.

Cain normally lands strikes in heavy volume, and can easily take down opponents where he can pour on the ground & pound. I honestly would be surprised if he tried to take Fabricio down early, since he knows his opponent and doesn’t want to play to Werdum’s strengths. But at some point, instinct will take over and it will be Cain’s undoing.

I think Fabricio is good enough on the feet to keep the striking game close, and one of these guys will go to the ground eventually and Fabricio will go to work. The fight could end up on the ground due to a knockdown strike, or by takedown. It will happen though.

Whoever wins, it will be inside the distance in this 5 round main event.

My Prediction: Fabricio Werdum (inside the distance)

Cain Velasquez v. Fabricio Werdum

It’s finally here. I’m so excited for this fight I can hardly contain myself, as the MMA community has been waiting how long?  A year and a half. That’s how long it’s been since Cain last entered the octagon. Put this in persepective: Andrei Arlovsky has gone 4-0 in that same time. But we wait no more, King Cain is finally going to defend the title that he could have easily been stripped of.

Cain Velasquez is 13-1 with 12 of those fights being in the UFC. His lone loss is to Junior Dos Santos, who he went on to beat 2 times after. Sandwiched between those 3 JDS fights are 2 TKO wins over Bigfoot Silva. That’s right, his last 5 fights spamming 2011 to 2013 only included 2 opponents. He finished 11 of his 13 wins by KO or TKO. An absolute freak, who will certainly be a hall of famer no matter what happens from here.

Fabrico Werdum. One of my favorite guys. The best Jiu Jitsu master in the game today, though a casual fan may not know it given only 1 of his current 5 win streak came by submission. That’s because his striking is top level as well.

Alot of people are saying that Cain will make quick work of Werdum and will knock him out in under 2.5. Well Cain has certainly earned that reputation, but I don’t think Werdum is the guy you can make that kind of claim against. His 5 win streak includes other dangerous strikers like Roy Nelson, Travis Browne, and most recently Mark Hunt who he TKO’d. This guy’s chin should not be in question, even in his toughest test of his career. Oh and that Travis Browne fight went to a FIVE ROUND decision. His cardio isn’t that of Cain’s, but this guy has survived dangerous strikers even in championship rounds 4 & 5.

I’m a Jiu Jitsu guy. If you read my write ups, you know that. So it shouldn’t surprise you that I’m on Fabricio Werdum. His striking is very good and his Jiu Jitsu is world class. Cain’s striking is world class, but he has no Jiu Jitsu background. That’s where the scales are tipped.

Cain normally lands strikes in heavy volume, and can easily take down opponents where he can pour on the ground & pound. I honestly would be surprised if he tried to take Fabricio down early, since he knows his opponent and doesn’t want to play to Werdum’s strengths. But at some point, instinct will take over and it will be Cain’s undoing.

I think Fabricio is good enough on the feet to keep the striking game close, and one of these guys will go to the ground eventually and Fabricio will go to work. The fight could end up on the ground due to a knockdown strike, or by takedown. It will happen though.

Whoever wins, it will be inside the distance in this 5 round main event.

My Prediction: Fabricio Werdum (inside the distance)

Cain Velasquez v. Fabricio Werdum

It’s finally here. I’m so excited for this fight I can hardly contain myself, as the MMA community has been waiting how long?  A year and a half. That’s how long it’s been since Cain last entered the octagon. Put this in persepective: Andrei Arlovsky has gone 4-0 in that same time. But we wait no more, King Cain is finally going to defend the title that he could have easily been stripped of.

Cain Velasquez is 13-1 with 12 of those fights being in the UFC. His lone loss is to Junior Dos Santos, who he went on to beat 2 times after. Sandwiched between those 3 JDS fights are 2 TKO wins over Bigfoot Silva. That’s right, his last 5 fights spamming 2011 to 2013 only included 2 opponents. He finished 11 of his 13 wins by KO or TKO. An absolute freak, who will certainly be a hall of famer no matter what happens from here.

Fabrico Werdum. One of my favorite guys. The best Jiu Jitsu master in the game today, though a casual fan may not know it given only 1 of his current 5 win streak came by submission. That’s because his striking is top level as well.

Alot of people are saying that Cain will make quick work of Werdum and will knock him out in under 2.5. Well Cain has certainly earned that reputation, but I don’t think Werdum is the guy you can make that kind of claim against. His 5 win streak includes other dangerous strikers like Roy Nelson, Travis Browne, and most recently Mark Hunt who he TKO’d. This guy’s chin should not be in question, even in his toughest test of his career. Oh and that Travis Browne fight went to a FIVE ROUND decision. His cardio isn’t that of Cain’s, but this guy has survived dangerous strikers even in championship rounds 4 & 5.

I’m a Jiu Jitsu guy. If you read my write ups, you know that. So it shouldn’t surprise you that I’m on Fabricio Werdum. His striking is very good and his Jiu Jitsu is world class. Cain’s striking is world class, but he has no Jiu Jitsu background. That’s where the scales are tipped.

Cain normally lands strikes in heavy volume, and can easily take down opponents where he can pour on the ground & pound. I honestly would be surprised if he tried to take Fabricio down early, since he knows his opponent and doesn’t want to play to Werdum’s strengths. But at some point, instinct will take over and it will be Cain’s undoing.

I think Fabricio is good enough on the feet to keep the striking game close, and one of these guys will go to the ground eventually and Fabricio will go to work. The fight could end up on the ground due to a knockdown strike, or by takedown. It will happen though.

Whoever wins, it will be inside the distance in this 5 round main event.

My Prediction: Fabricio Werdum (inside the distance)