As [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] navigates the free agent market, the former UFC heavyweight champion has a few targets in mind.
Werdum (24-9-1) said he’s open to hearing all offers but sees a few primary options on the table: Either a move to Bellator for a rematch with Russian legend [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (39-6), or perhaps a switch to ONE FC and a showdown with current heavyweight champ [autotag]Brandon Vera[/autotag] (16-8). Werdum said he’s just waiting on his manager, Ali Abdelaziz to let him know which route they will take.
“Next step in my career, I want to make like superfights,” Werdum told MMA Junkie. “Maybe a Fedor fight. Maybe I go to ONE FC. I have a lot of options. Bellator. Ali talked with the guys, the organizations, and I’m just waiting because, you know, I’m young. My mind is young. This is very important. I’m 43 years old, but I’m not feeling that. I just want to fight again and again and again.
“It’s so hard when I say, ‘stop fighting.’ Everybody says that. I’m going to stop. I’m going to retire. But it’s so hard for us to stop the fight because this is my life. I love fighting. For sure, the money is very important, too – the money for sure, 100 percent. But now I just fight because I like this. This is my life. I want to fight again. I’m ready.”
Werdum, of course, defeated Emelianenko in a historic 2010 clash, ending the former PRIDE champion’s incredible 10-year unbeaten run. Werdum likes the idea of revisiting the contest while Emelianenko is on his “farewell tour” into retirement.
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“The history is very important, too,” Werdum said. “Fedor, I think everybody wants to see this fight. Maybe Russia, maybe USA, I don’t know, but I think this is a good deal for the organization, and I respect him a lot.
“I respect Fedor. I never said nothing about him. Zero. Nothing. For sure, I saw two days ago, he said something about the rematch, and I love this. Maybe. Why not the rematch? I don’t know if he’ll retire after that, but I’ll keep going for sure like two years more.”
Werdum said he considers current Bellator boss Scott Coker a “good friend” and would enjoy working with him again. However, the idea of potentially going to ONE FC and challenging for a belt is appealing, as well, Werdum said – and there is history there, as well, with “Vai Cavalo” defeating Vera in a 2008 bout under the UFC banner.
“Brandon Vera is my son, man,” Werdum said. “I beat him. He is my son. He is scared, for sure. When I go to ONE FC, I’ll take his belt. Maybe not even fight – just give me the belt, please.
“I love belts. This is a beautiful belt. I’m just waiting for Ali to say something, but I’m ready.”
Werdum, 43, says wherever he ends up, he’d like it to be for the remainder of his career, which he thinks will be about two years. But during that stretch, he wants to fight frequently.
And though he saw action just one month ago, Werdum said he’s anxious to get back into the cage before the end of the year.
“Just sign, and October, November, I’m ready,” Werdum said. “I just fought one month ago. Monday I start again training, and I keep going. That’s it. I want to keep fighting.”
To hear more from Werdum, check out the video above.
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