Long considered one of the most gifted Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighters in MMA, Fabricio Werdum was unable to crack the upper echelon of the world top ten rankings for many years. Unquestionably a highly skilled fighter, Werdum held career victories over world class talent like Gabriel Gonzaga (twice), Aleksander Emelianenko, and Alistair Overeem, yet continued to dwell beneath the radar in the minds of many fans. Few thought of him as a legitimate threat to take a major world title in the heavyweight division.

That all changed when Werdum was matched up with the greatest heavyweight fighter in MMA history, Fedor Emelianenko, in June of 2010. Werdum entered the fight as a massive underdog, but he exuded confidence in the days leading up to the bout. At just 1:09 into the contest, Werdum accomplished what ten years of great fighters had failed to accomplish, forcing “The Last Emperor” to tap out to a tight Triangle Choke/ Armbar combination that left the MMA world in shock. The victory was not only the most significant of Werdum’s career by a large margin, but one of the most important in MMA history, and signalled the passing of an era in the heavyweight division. The sky is now the limit for “Vai Cavalo,” who is assured top billing for at least a few years to come.

Prior to his trials in professional mixed martial arts competition, Werdum was a world-renowned Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, having won world titles in the BJJ World Championships and the ADCC heavyweight division. Werdum reportedly began his life in the martial arts after being humiliated by getting beat up in front of his girlfriend. Fast forwarding to two decades later, that embarrassed young man is now a professional MMA fighter with a win over Fedor Emelianenko.