It looks like we might be getting a rematch between Fabricio Werdum and Fedor Emelianenko.
That’s according to the former UFC heavyweight champion — now a free agent — who revealed that his manager Ali Abdelaziz was speaking with Bellator MMA over a rematch with Emelianenko.
As of now, talks are advanced and it’s just a matter of getting a yes from Emelianenko.
“(The talks) really are advanced,” Werdum told Canal Encarada (translation via MMA Fighting). “Ali went there last week, had the talk, and now it’s a matter of Fedor accepting. And he said the other day in an interview that he wanted to do this rematch as well.
“Since I have a huge respect for Fedor, I’d definitely give him a rematch — not only for that, but also the financial side, the promotion, the whole history we had.”
Werdum: Fedor Still The Greatest Of All Time
Werdum, of course, notably defeated Emelianenko when they headlined a Strikeforce event back in 2010. The Brazilian was a huge underdog at the time, but managed to lock in the triangle submission to deliver the Russian’s first defeat in 28 fights.
And should it be run back again 10 years later, Werdum believes the end result will be the same.
“In my opinion, I still think Fedor is the greatest of all time, you have to respect the man,” Werdum said. “He’s done a lot of things for 10 years, he beat the best, so I think it would be a fight that everybody would like to see in Bellator, a superfight, a main event. I think it would sell a lot.
“If Fedor accepts, if he really wants to fight me one more time for this rematch… And, with all due respect, I firmly believe I will submit him again. I have no doubt. It’s not me being cocky, it’s the reality. That’s what I imagine. It will be a tough, of course. People think the other fight was easy, but how about the one before? Fighting Fedor, the expectation, nobody believing in me, everybody against me and chanting ‘The Emperor’ in the arena. It was tough, of course, because of everything that surrounded it.”
Werdum recently became a free agent after he snapped a two-fight losing streak to submit Alexander Gustafsson in their heavyweight bout earlier this summer.
Having held UFC gold and winning a number of jiu-jitsu championships, “Vai Cavalo” has enjoyed an illustrious career. And at the age of 43, he admits a potential fight with Emelianenko could be his last.
“And who knows, I don’t know if it could be the last one,” Werdum added. “When Fedor retires, I retire, we have a tequila together and it’s over, you know? [Laughs] I don’t know if it could happen.”
