Under the Microscope: Analyzing Heavyweight Greats

Eric StintonFeb 15, 2016

Fabricio Werdum

* Heavyweight Record: 17-5
* Opponent Winning Percentage: .739
* Longest Winning Streak: 6
* Record in Major Heavyweight Title Fights: 2-0
* Finish Percentage: 76.5
* Finished Percentage: 20
* Notable Victories: Gabriel Gonzaga (twice), Alistair Overeem, Aleksander Emelianenko, Antonio Silva, Fedor Emelianenko, Roy Nelson, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Travis Browne, Mark Hunt, Cain Velasquez
* Career Accomplishments: UFC heavyweight champion; UFC interim heavyweight champion; three-time time UFC “Performance of the Night” winner

CASE FOR: In the past five years, Werdum has transformed himself from a very solid veteran to a G.O.A.T. party-crasher. It practically leaps off the page that he not only beat but finished Emelianenko, Nogueira and Velasquez -- three champions who had all been considered the greatest of their respective eras. However, his ledger goes deeper than those wins and includes several pelts from big wigs across different generations. Even his handful of losses speaks well of “Vai Cavalo,” as four of his five defeats are to fellow G.O.A.T. candidates and big-league champions; and he made it to the final bell every time except once. Werdum’s current incarnation is one of the most well-rounded, offensively lethal skill sets to grace the heavies. Werdum’s constantly evolving muay Thai has complemented the world-class jiu-jitsu that has always anchored his game. It is also of note that Werdum is currently on his longest winning streak, which has come against the toughest string of opponents in his career. This, in conjunction with his performances, bodes well for continued success in the immediate future. With a couple title defenses to his name, fans and pundits alike will have no choice but to endow him with the G.O.A.T. mantle.

CASE AGAINST: Werdum has paved a fantastic lane for himself of late, but there is a long, underwhelming body of work that offsets -- or at least detours -- the last couple years of success. In other words: too little, too late. A lingering stench emanates from the duds he dropped against Andrei Arlovski and Alistair Overeem, the latter of which possibly being the most shameful display of combat strategy in MMA history. Two title fights, even though they were both scintillating wins, are not enough to compete with the behemoths boasting double and triple that number, especially when there are no title defenses engraved on his championship belt yet. That is the recurring thesis: not yet. Werdum has not done enough yet to contend with the accomplishments of others who preceded him, and at 38 years of age, his window to get a firm footing in the history books is narrowing rapidly. In other words, there are just too many blank spaces when it comes to his actual accomplishments to be considered the Greatest of All-Time. With some positive thinking, the more likely scenario is that Werdum will finish up with a brief period to call his own and a mention alongside the true greats.

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