Werdum Wants to Have Surgery in August

Still riding high following his historic upset of Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum deemed the Paradise Warrior Retreat (July 24-25) at the Tapout Training Center in Las Vegas a major success.

Strikeforce women’s champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos and mixed martial arts legend Bas Rutten held court on Saturday, Werdum and Rafael Cordeiro on Sunday.

“I was so impressed with the Tapout gym,” Werdum said. “It’s the dream academy for any MMA fighter. They have six big areas, as well as two official-size Octagons. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

After the seminar, Werdum engaged in one of his favorite pastimes -- shooting -- with Cordeiro. This time, however, it involved live ammunition, not paintballs.

“I had that experience previously in Croatia when Mirko [“Cro Cop” Filipovic] took me to some places, but this time, I used many different big guns with real bullets,” Werdum said. “I couldn’t explain how, but somehow I improved. I didn’t miss one single shot at Osama Bin Laden’s head or chest. When I left that place, I almost felt like a sniper.”

Werdum again discussed plans to have his injured elbow surgically repaired.

“I was planning to have the surgery in Spain, but my new student, Holland Herzfield, told me one of the best doctors in that field has a clinic in Marina Del Rey, Calif., where I live, so I’m going to meet him,” Werdum said. “I want to have the surgery the first week of August at the latest because I want to be ready to fight no later than January.”

One of the sport’s most feared submission grapplers, the soon-to-be 33-year-old Werdum welcomes the respite. He submitted Emelianenko with a first-round triangle choke under the Strikeforce banner on June 26.

“I’m happy to celebrate in such a nice area, but the best gift I could get was beating Fedor,” he said. “It wasn’t only that I won but how I won, using my favorite hold. If I had knocked him out, people would have said I was lucky.”