Cain Velasquez (Photo : Reuters)
Defending UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez (13-1, 11 KOs) is set to face the interim UFC heavyweight champion Fabrício Werdum (19-5-1, 6 KOs) as the main event of UFC 188 to be held at the Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City on Saturday, June 13.
Because of various injuries to the shoulder and knee that required surgeries, the 32-year-old UFC heavyweight champion was forced to back out of a scheduled title fight with Werdum in October last year.
In its place, an interim UFC heavyweight championship bout was set between the 37-year-old Brazilian fighter and New Zealander Mark Hunt, in which the former had won.
With Velasquez back after 20 months of inactivity, the unification bout between the two champions will be underway.
On paper, the 6-foot-1, 240-pound Velasquez appears to be the favorite. Bleacher Report's Steven Rondina said that his superior wrestling skills, fearsome aggressiveness, and remarkable stamina can slowly break down an opponent round after round. He is actually considered as one of the best heavyweights in MMA history and is listed #4 in the UFC's official pound-for-pound rankings.
The only issue with Cain is his ability to stay healthy especially during fights itself. He suffered his first defeat, via KO, in the hands of Junior dos Santos because he re-injured his rotator cuff during the match. Another thing to consider about the California native is the possible rust that may come along after a 20-month layoff from the fight game.
Meanwhile, the 6-foot-4, 232-pound Werdum is a known striker and submission specialist. MMA Fighting's Dave Meltzer wrote that his fighting style is probably the toughest that Cain could encounter. With black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, and Muay Thai, he can really be a handful for Velasquez or any other fighter. If Cain can't be at his top form during the fight, both physically and mentally, then Werdum will have a real chance at winning the unification bout.
The verdict: A unanimous decision win for Velasquez. Cain will have some problems in the early rounds regarding rust, but his overall skills and aggressiveness will prevail over Werdum.
