Fabricio Werdum Considering MMA Retirement, Withdraws From PFL Regular Season
Former undisputed UFC heavyweight kingpin, Fabricio Werdum will not feature in the upcoming PFL (Professional Fighters League) 2022 regular season, and is considering retiring from professional mixed martial arts.
Werdum, a native of Rio Grande do Sol, has featured once under the PFL banner since his switch to the promotion last year, fighting to an eventual official ‘No Contest’ against Renan Ferreira at PFL 3 last May, following an original knockout loss to the latter. The result was overturned when it became apparent upon review that Ferreira had submitted to a triangle choke applied by Werdum prior to his knockout sequence.
Fabricio Werdum is a six-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world championship gold medalist
Werdum was then booked to meet with Brandon Sayles in the summer of last year, before withdrawing from the bout, and the entire 2021 regular season as a result.
Speaking with Brazilian outlet, AgFight recently, Werdum addressed his fighting future, and admitted that he was considering hanging up his gloves after 20 years of professional competition.
“It’s a bit complicated to say that to a fighter after 24 years of fighting,” Fabricio Werdum said. “Even my wife keeps telling me to say I’m retired, that I’m done. I tell her I won’t say it. … But talking about MMA, I think it’s hard for me to come back because it’s more dedication, staying two, three months in the United States, and I’m living in Brazil for a year and three months now. If there’s a boxing match, I’d do it.”
“To sum it up: boxing, yes, MMA, no,” Fabricio Werdum said. “It would need to be an out-of-this world offer to make me stop doing what I’ve been doing right now.” (Transcribed by MMA Fighting)
A decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, Werdum, who transitioned to professional mixed martial arts back in 2002, has managed to land a jaw-dropping 12 submission victories en route to a 24-9-1(1) professional record.
An alum of the UFC, Strikeforce, Jungle Fight, and Pride Fighting Championships, Werdum scooped the undisputed UFC heavyweight title back in June 2015, submitting Cain Velasquez with a guillotine choke – adding the decorated to a career run of victories over names such as Gabriel Gonzaga, Alistair Overeem, Alexander Emelianenko, Brandon Vera, Antonio Silva, Fedor Emelianenko, Roy Nelson, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Travis Browne, Mark Hunt, Marcin Tybura, and Alexander Gustafsson.
