Werdum says he refused to fight in the UFC in Natal because of his daughter and taxes

F. Werdum (photo) is second in the heavyweight rankings. Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

Fabricio Werdum revealed that he refused a fight in the UFC edition that will be held in Natal (Rio Grande do Norte), on March 23, because of the birth of his second daughter.

His wife, Karine, with whom he already has a six-year-old daughter, is due to give birth next Saturday (February 1). Furthermore, Werdum chose to avoid taxes applied to fights held in Brazil, which made him prefer to act in the United States.

“I received an invitation to fight in Brazil, on March 23rd, but, for some reasons, I asked to fight in the United States. Joana's birth is one of them, the anxiety is enormous. Here, I can be closer to them”, said the fighter, who lives in Los Angeles, in the United States, in a press release.

“Not to mention the issue of taxes to fight in Brazil. Almost 28% is deducted and never reimbursed. Now, I can’t be without this money, it’s owned by Joana, and no one will take it away from her”, he joked.

Thus, Werdum was scheduled to face Travis Browne in Orlando, on April 19, at UFC on Fox 11. The fight should determine the new challenger for the UFC heavyweight belt, currently held by Cain Velazquez. As it will be the main fight of the night, the fight will have five rounds, which Werdum considers to be an advantage in his favor.

“Browne has this characteristic of being explosive, but we will fight for five rounds. That's a plus for me because I know his gas is bad. I want to knockout or submit, but if necessary, I'll put on a five-round show. I need to be well prepared physically for this, to perform the technique I want,” he commented.

Werdum hopes not to make the same mistakes as some of Browne's recent opponents, who succumbed to elbows during takedown attempts. “I’m not going to despair of putting him down, like Barnett, but at some point there will be a melee and the opportunity to put him on the ground,” he predicted. “Against Napão and Barnett, it was clear that trying to take Browne down with a double leg on the fence is not a good idea, and I will avoid that entry because of the elbows. But he needs the fence to support himself and he won't be able to do that in the middle of the octagon. It’s very simple to avoid, just don’t despair”, concluded Werdum.

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