Werdum (right)'s exchange against Browne (left) left a good impression. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
The dominant form as the Brazilian Fabricio Werdum defeated Travis Browne at UFC on FOX 11, last Saturday (19), surprising many people in the MMA world. Among them is Javier Mendez, trainer of the heavyweight champion Cain Velazquez, Werdum's next opponent. Mendez highlighted the evolution of the gaucho and stated that it is a good combination of fights for his athlete.
“I think Werdum did an incredible job against Browne. He impressed me. We cannot underestimate it. He improved a lot in his striking. I think he's a good match for Cain, but we can't underestimate anything he has. We will respect his standup game more after this fight. He had a great fight plan against Browne,” said Mendez, in an interview with “The MMA Hour” podcast.
For the coach, just as many mistakenly underestimated Werdum's stand-up game, there is also a tendency to disdain Velasquez's ground game, which, in Mendez's view, is a mistake of equal magnitude. “I think a lot of people underestimate Cain's jiu-jitsu. He is a legitimate black belt under Leandro Vieira (from the Checkmat academy). He trains with tough guys every day in the gym. I don't fear Cain on the ground with any other fighter in the world. He has a good ground game and is good at everything”, he said.
Finally, Javier expressed confidence in Cain's return in time to face Werdum in November, possibly in Mexico, as has been speculated in recent days. “About two weeks ago, the doctor gave him permission to use his right hand. Let me tell you, he was just as motivated as the first day I saw him, so his hunger is still there. His desire to train and prove himself is still there, so I'm optimistic about the result in November if he's healthy against Fabrício,” he concluded.