Following a single fight stint, Fabrcio Werdum officially left the PFL.
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) can no longer count Fabrcio Werdum as a member.
After one match with the PFL, Fabrcio Werdum’s tenure as the former heavyweight champion of the UFC is now formally over.
In a recent talk with Canal Encarada, Werdum declared that his PFL contract had been formally terminated.
During his stint in the PFL, Werdum only lost one fight, to Renan Ferreira in May 2021. Ferreira looked to have tapped out to a submission early on in the fight, which led to the fight later being declared a no-contest.
Werdum has been injured ever since the 2021 PFL regular season, when he failed to make a comeback. Over the past year, he had hinted at a comeback to the PFL, but no match booking materialised.
Following the PFL split, Fabricio Werdum’s MMA future is in doubt.
Werdum defeated Alexander Gustafsson by first-round submission in his UFC finale before accepting a free-agent contract with the PFL. With the victory over Gustafsson, he looked to be closing in on a potential second victory in his fighting career.
Werdum began his MMA career in 2002 and quickly became known for his grappling skills. He was a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and had won several grappling competitions before turning his attention to MMA.
He made his debut in the UFC in 2007 and quickly established himself as a top heavyweight contender. He defeated Gabriel Gonzaga, Brandon Vera, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira during his first stint with the UFC.
In 2011, Werdum left the UFC and signed with Strikeforce. He won his first fight in the organisation against Mike Kyle and then faced Alistair Overeem in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. Werdum lost the fight but rebounded with a win over Fedor Emelianenko in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
After Strikeforce was acquired by the UFC, Werdum returned to the promotion in 2012. He defeated Roy Nelson in his first fight back and then faced Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in a rematch. Werdum won the fight via submission, becoming the first person to submit Nogueira in an MMA competition.
Werdum went on to win his next three fights, including a victory over Travis Browne that earned him a shot at the UFC heavyweight title. He faced Cain Velasquez for the championship in June 2015 and won via submission to become the new UFC heavyweight champion.
In 2016, Werdum lost the title to Stipe Miocic in his first title defence. He then faced Alistair Overeem in a rematch but lost the fight via majority decision.
Werdum continued to fight in the UFC until 2020, amassing a record of 24 wins and 9 losses during his MMA career. He announced his retirement from MMA in May 2020.
In addition to his MMA career, Werdum was also a successful submission grappler. He won several grappling competitions, including the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championship in 2009.
Werdum exchanged victories and defeats inside the Octagon after losing the heavyweight championship to Stipe Miocic at UFC 198. Before leaving the UFC, he defeated Travis Browne, Marcin Tybura, and Walt Harris.
With six consecutive victories, Werdum got off to a strong start in the UFC. He defeated Cain Velasquez at UFC 188 in 2015 to claim the heavyweight championship.
Now a free agent, Werdum is considering his next step in a fight. The 45-year-old may attract interest from other MMA organisations if he keeps competing, including Bellator.
