It was widely believed that after his triumph over Cain Velasquez, mixed martial artist Fabricio Werdum will be granting the UFC great a rematch for the UFC heavyweight title.
Werdum's camp says Velasquez deserves a rematch, citing the things he has done for the UFC. But Velasquez is not the only one in the mind of Werdum's camp, and Dana White may have mentioned some fighters whose names ring a bell (but in the wrong direction).
White did bring up the names of Andre Arlovski and Stipe Miocic.
Arlovski and Werdum go way back as early as 2007. Werdum knows all too well what happened that year in UFC 170, when he lost to Arlovski via unanimous decision. And from all indications, Werdum is looking for a payback.
Arlovski seems to be a good choice, not just because of the revenge angle but also because the Belarusian fighter is on a five-fight winning streak. With that in mind, it could be a match that will sell.
Another fighter who was mentioned as a possible opponent has a history with Werdum as well – Junior 'Cigano' dos Santos. In 2008, Werdum fought Cigano and got knocked out in the first round.
Aside from that KO loss, Werdum ended up being released by the UFC that year. So there is pretty much a story angle there, though Werdum admits he was not yet a professional during that time just before the sudden loss. But setbacks only make athletes stronger, and apparently that is what has happened to Werdum.
So does this mean that Werdum can avenge both losses? Based on his confidence level, it can happen. But who of the two will he fight first? Who comes next? Both are bound to get their shots.
So where does this leave Velasquez? Doing the math and assuming that Werdum comes out victorious against both, that could perhaps be the only time for Velasquez to enter the fray.
