Fabricio Werdum: Vai Cavalo — Fighter Profile, Career & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- May 10
- 9 min read
Introduction
Fabricio Werdum is the most decorated jiu-jitsu black belt to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship. A 3-time BJJ World Champion, 2-time ADCC Heavyweight Champion, and ADCC Hall of Fame member out of Porto Alegre, Brazil, Werdum is best known for two single moments in modern heavyweight history: the June 2010 triangle-choke submission of Fedor Emelianenko at Strikeforce that ended Fedor's 28-fight unbeaten streak, and the June 2015 third-round submission of Cain Velasquez at UFC 188 in Mexico City that won the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
This profile covers everything: the violent origin (Werdum was choked unconscious by his girlfriend's ex with a triangle as a teenager and went straight to a BJJ academy the next day), the four-time BJJ World Championship resume, the 2007 UFC debut against Andrei Arlovski, the years of refining his striking at Chute Boxe, the Strikeforce era and the historic Fedor finish, the UFC return, the UFC 180 interim-title win over Mark Hunt at altitude in Mexico City, the UFC 188 undisputed-title win over Cain Velasquez, the brutal UFC 198 first-round KO loss to Stipe Miocic, the 2017-20 contender years, and the 2020 PFL signing.
Contents
Quick Stats
Full Name: Fabrício Werdum
Nickname: Vai Cavalo ("Go Horse" — from his soccer-playing youth)
Born: July 30, 1977 (Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)
Heritage: Spanish-Brazilian (dual nationality)
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
Reach: 77" (196 cm)
Weight Class: Heavyweight (265 lb / 120 kg)
Stance: Orthodox
Team: Werdum Combat Team (Venice, California) / Kings MMA
Pro Record: 24-10-1 with 1 NC (6 KO, 12 SUB, 6 DEC)
UFC Career Record: 12-6 (18 UFC fights)
UFC Debut: April 21, 2007 — UFC 70: Nations Collide, lost to Andrei Arlovski by UD
Belts and Achievements: Former UFC Heavyweight Champion (2015-16); Former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion (2014); 3x BJJ Black Belt World Champion; 2x ADCC World Heavyweight Champion (2007, 2009); ADCC Hall of Fame; Black Belts in BJJ (Sylvio Behring), Muay Thai, and Brown Belt in Judo
Background
Fabricio Werdum was born on July 30, 1977 in Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul state, southern Brazil. His Spanish heritage gave him a dual Spanish-Brazilian nationality. The transformative moment of his early life is well-documented: as a teenager Werdum was attacked by the ex-boyfriend of his girlfriend and choked unconscious with a triangle choke. The next day he walked into the Porto Alegre Academy run by Marcio Corleta and Winner Behring and started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Within five years he was a multiple-time BJJ World Champion.
The competitive jiu-jitsu years produced four BJJ World Championship titles and two ADCC World Heavyweight Championships (2007 and 2009 — the years bracketing his early UFC tenure). Werdum holds black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (under Sylvio Behring), Muay Thai, and a brown belt in Judo. The professional MMA debut came in 2002 against Tengiz Tedoradze — a first-round submission win. Pride FC followed; Werdum competed in the 2006 Openweight Grand Prix, losing a quarterfinal decision to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. After Pride's collapse, Werdum signed with the UFC in 2007 and made his Octagon debut at UFC 70 against Andrei Arlovski.
The first UFC stint was uneven (3-2 with a 2008 KO loss to Junior dos Santos that produced his UFC release), and Werdum signed with Strikeforce in 2009. The Strikeforce era produced the defining moment of his pre-championship career: at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum on June 26, 2010, Werdum forced a triangle/armbar submission on Fedor Emelianenko at 1:09 of the first round — ending Fedor's 28-fight unbeaten streak in one of the great upsets in MMA history. The win cemented Werdum's status as a top-five heavyweight worldwide and set up his UFC return in 2012.
Fighting Style
Werdum's style is the most decorated pure-jiu-jitsu base in modern UFC heavyweight history. The 12 career submission wins (50% of all his wins) include three triangle/armbar combinations, two pure triangle chokes, two guillotines, and an eclectic mix of armbars, kimuras, RNCs and arm triangles. The signature finish — the triangle from guard against a top-pressure opponent — is the same technique that finished Fedor in 2010 and the same approach that finished Cain Velasquez at UFC 188 in 2015. The submission portfolio is the deepest of any UFC heavyweight champion in history.
The striking game was the unexpected development that lifted Werdum into the championship picture. After his 2008 UFC release following the JDS KO loss, Werdum joined Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil and trained Muay Thai with the Carvalho-coached striking system. The transformation produced his first UFC interim-title win — UFC 180 in Mexico City, November 2014, KO of Mark Hunt at 2:27 of the second round, with the high-altitude Mexico City conditions favouring Werdum's superior cardio. The same conditions and the same striking-then-grappling approach produced the UFC 188 win over Velasquez seven months later.
The vulnerability is the chin against high-volume punchers. Junior dos Santos (UFC 90, 2008), Stipe Miocic (UFC 198, 2016) and Alexander Volkov (UFC FN 2018) all knocked Werdum out in the first round. The pattern: Werdum's wide-stance Muay Thai style leaves the chin available to right-hand counters, and high-power heavyweights have exploited the gap repeatedly. Werdum has been knocked out three times in his career — all in the first round, all by elite-level heavyweight strikers — but has never been submitted in over 35 professional fights, the most decorated submission-defence record in modern UFC heavyweight history.
Career Highlights
UFC 188 — Werdum def. Cain Velasquez, Sub R3 (June 13, 2015)
The undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship-winning fight, in Mexico City. Velasquez was the heavy betting favourite — the most decorated UFC heavyweight champion of his generation — but had not fought in 19 months due to injury. Werdum, who had won the interim title in the same arena seven months earlier, used the high-altitude Mexico City conditions to control cardio. He took Velasquez down in the third round, took his back, and finished by guillotine choke at 2:13. Performance of the Night.
UFC 180 — Werdum def. Mark Hunt, KO R2 (November 15, 2014)
Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship-winning fight, in Mexico City. Cain Velasquez had been forced to withdraw with a knee injury; Werdum and Mark Hunt were matched for the interim. Werdum landed a flying knee from a Hunt clinch attempt that dropped Hunt cold at 2:27 of the second round. Performance of the Night. The unification with Velasquez seven months later produced the undisputed title.
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum — Werdum def. Fedor Emelianenko, Sub R1 (June 26, 2010)
The defining moment of Werdum's pre-championship career. Fedor Emelianenko — undefeated for 28 consecutive professional fights — was the consensus #1 heavyweight in MMA. Werdum — an underdog at +750 — pulled guard, attacked an armbar, transitioned to a triangle choke, and forced Fedor to tap at 1:09 of the first round. Single most consequential upset in MMA history.
UFC 198 — Miocic def. Werdum, KO R1 (May 14, 2016)
The title-losing fight, in Curitiba, Brazil. Werdum walked Stipe Miocic down with the right hand cocked; Miocic landed a clean right hand that knocked Werdum out at 2:47 of the first round. The 2:47 finish made it one of the shortest UFC heavyweight title-losing fights in history. Werdum had made zero successful defences.
UFC Fight Night July 2020 — Werdum def. Alexander Gustafsson, Sub R1 (July 25, 2020)
Werdum's last UFC fight. Alexander Gustafsson made his heavyweight debut after a long light-heavyweight career; Werdum finished him by armbar submission at 2:30 of the first round. Performance of the Night. Werdum chose not to re-sign with the UFC after the win and signed with the Professional Fighters League instead.
Notable Rivalries
Fabricio Werdum vs. Cain Velasquez
One fight at UFC 188 in Mexico City, Werdum by third-round submission. The win produced the unification of the interim and undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championships. Velasquez never received a rematch — his subsequent injury history kept him out of the title picture, and the men have never fought again.
Fabricio Werdum vs. Stipe Miocic
One fight at UFC 198, Miocic by first-round KO. The 2:47 first-round finish was, in retrospect, the moment Miocic established himself as the dominant heavyweight of the late-2010s era. Werdum has not received a rematch.
Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos
Two fights and a third in bareknuckle. UFC 90 in October 2008 was Werdum's first UFC loss — JDS by first-round KO that produced Werdum's UFC release. The 2023 bareknuckle MMA fight in Gamebred BKMMA was a JDS split-decision win after a five-round rematch.
Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko
One fight at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum on June 26, 2010, Werdum by first-round submission. The single most consequential upset in MMA history — Fedor's 28-fight unbeaten streak ended at 1:09 of the first round. Fedor never received a rematch.
Championships and Title Reigns
UFC Heavyweight Champion: June 13, 2015 — May 14, 2016 (0 successful defences; lost to Stipe Miocic at UFC 198)
UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion: November 15, 2014 — June 13, 2015 (unified with the undisputed title)
BJJ World Championship: Three-time Black Belt World Champion
ADCC World Heavyweight Champion: 2007 and 2009 (two-time)
ADCC Hall of Fame member
Title Challenger Appearances: Two (UFC 180 vs Hunt for interim, won; UFC 188 vs Velasquez for undisputed, won; UFC 198 vs Miocic, lost)
Performance Bonuses: Multiple — Fight of the Night (Roy Nelson), Performance of the Night (Mark Hunt, Cain Velasquez, Alexander Gustafsson)
Coaching Distinction: TUF Brazil 2 coach (vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira), TUF Latin America coach
Fun Facts
• His nickname 'Vai Cavalo' (Portuguese for 'Go Horse') comes from his soccer-playing youth, where opponents used to yell 'Vai Cavalo!' as Werdum sprinted past them on the pitch.
• Started Brazilian jiu-jitsu after being choked unconscious by his girlfriend's ex with a triangle choke. Walked into the Porto Alegre BJJ academy the next day.
• Has never been submitted in over 35 professional fights — the most decorated submission-defence record in modern UFC heavyweight history.
• Holds dual Spanish-Brazilian nationality. Has been a vocal advocate for Spanish MMA development.
• Owns and operates Werdum Combat Team in Venice, California, alongside his Kings MMA training relationship under Master Rafael Cordeiro.
• Coached The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 2 against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in 2013 — the rematch with Nogueira at the end of the season was Nogueira's first career submission loss.
• Was the first man to defeat Fedor Emelianenko in MMA — ending Fedor's 28-fight unbeaten streak by triangle/armbar at 1:09 of the first round in 2010.
• In 2023 fought Junior dos Santos in a bareknuckle MMA rematch under Jorge Masvidal's Gamebred BKMMA banner — JDS won by split decision.
• Is the only fighter to hold wins over both Emelianenko brothers (Fedor and Aleksander).
Legacy and Verdict
Fabricio Werdum's UFC legacy is the most decorated jiu-jitsu base in modern heavyweight championship history. The submission portfolio — twelve career wins by submission, including the Fedor triangle and the Velasquez guillotine — is the deepest of any UFC heavyweight champion. The 2010 Fedor submission is, by consensus among MMA historians and submission-grappling specialists, the most consequential single submission performance in MMA history. The UFC 188 title win over Cain Velasquez is the most decorated jiu-jitsu finish in UFC heavyweight title-fight history.
Beyond the cage, Werdum's coaching footprint at Werdum Combat Team in Venice, California has produced a steady stream of jiu-jitsu specialists transitioning to MMA. The TUF Brazil 2 coaching role and the TUF Latin America coaching role expanded his reach across Portuguese and Spanish-speaking MMA development. The 2023 bareknuckle return in Gamebred BKMMA against Junior dos Santos was the moment most observers concluded the active fighting career was definitively closed at age 46.
The technical legacy is unambiguous: Werdum is in any reasonable list of the ten greatest UFC heavyweights of all time. The two title fights (Hunt KO, Velasquez submission) are both highlight-reel moments. The submission record will likely never be matched by another UFC heavyweight champion — the next-closest figure (Frank Mir, ten career submissions) competed in a less rigorously regulated era. He retires (functionally) as the most decorated grappler in UFC heavyweight history, with a Fedor finish that will be replayed for as long as the sport exists.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Fabricio Werdum win the UFC Heavyweight Championship?
Werdum won the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship on June 13, 2015 at UFC 188 in Mexico City, defeating Cain Velasquez by guillotine submission at 2:13 of the third round. He had previously won the interim title at UFC 180 over Mark Hunt by KO.
How many UFC title defences did Fabricio Werdum have?
Zero. Werdum held the title for approximately 11 months between June 2015 and May 2016, losing his only defence attempt to Stipe Miocic at UFC 198 by first-round KO.
What is Fabricio Werdum's professional MMA record?
Werdum's career professional record is 24-10-1 with 1 No Contest, including 6 wins by knockout, 12 by submission and 6 by decision. UFC career record 12-6.
How did Fabricio Werdum beat Fedor Emelianenko?
By triangle/armbar submission at 1:09 of the first round at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum on June 26, 2010. The submission ended Fedor's 28-fight unbeaten streak in one of the great upsets in MMA history.
Why is Fabricio Werdum nicknamed 'Vai Cavalo'?
'Vai Cavalo' translates from Portuguese as 'Go Horse.' The nickname dates from Werdum's youth playing soccer in Porto Alegre, where opponents used to yell 'Vai Cavalo!' as he sprinted past them on the pitch.
Where does Fabricio Werdum train?
Werdum operates his own gym, Werdum Combat Team, in Venice, California. He has long-standing training and coaching relationships with Kings MMA under Rafael Cordeiro.
Has Fabricio Werdum ever been submitted?
No. Across more than 35 professional fights and a 25-year career, Werdum has never been submitted — the most decorated submission-defence record in modern UFC heavyweight history. His three career stoppage losses are all by knockout.
Did Fabricio Werdum ever fight Cain Velasquez again?
No. Werdum and Velasquez fought once at UFC 188, with Werdum winning by submission. Velasquez never received a rematch — injury issues kept him out of title contention afterward, and the two men have not fought again.
References
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