junior gypsy x Fabricio Werdum they take revenge. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/@gamebredfc2
This Friday (8), in Jacksonville (USA), Fabricio Werdum e Junior Gypsy will star in the edition of Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA (MMA without gloves). Former UFC heavyweight champion (up to 120,2 kg), the Brazilian legends meet again 15 years after meeting in the company chaired by Dana White. With an indisputable legacy, the discussion arises: both surpassed the feats of Rodrigo Minotauro within mixed martial arts?
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Considering the three parties as references in the sport, the team from SUPER FIGHTS points out who would be the greatest Brazilian heavyweight of all time in the sport. The tough task falls to the editorial team.
Fernando Keller: It is always very difficult to compare the legacies of athletes who had their peaks at different times in the sport, even though they crossed paths at a certain point.
I believe that Rodrigo Minotauro Be the immediate reference of Brazilian heavyweight for many, due to his pioneering spirit and the great battles fought throughout his great career.
Junior Gypsy he enjoyed his peak at the best possible moment: when MMA was a real 'fever' in Brazil. With that, many witnessed his best moments in the Ultimate Octagon.
For me, however, the pioneering victory over Fedor Emelianenko in Strikeforce, the submission over Rodrigo Minotauro, the conquest of the linear Ultimate belt over Cain Velazquez, among other things, make Fabricio Werdum the greatest Brazilian heavyweight in the history of MMA.
Igor Ribeiro:
It is very difficult to have an approach to the legacy of fighters who lived in different situations. Minotauro, for having made history at PRIDE, one of the biggest MMA events in the world at the time, gave us great wars. I dare say he revolutionized the heavyweight division when he submitted significant names of the time, at a time when we didn't see fighters weighing up to 120,2 kg being taken to the ground. Cigano, in turn, is perhaps the most popular among the Brazilian public, as the 'Globo generation' took him to another level.
But, despite respecting (and valuing) the history of both, I see Fabricio Werdum on another level. He is, in my opinion, the greatest Brazilian heavyweight in history. He beat the main names without leaving any doubts. He had a turnaround story, marked by his first dismissal to the top of the world. It looked like a movie script.
Léo Guimarães: Great discussion where opinions that point to different paths can easily fit. With Brazil very well represented by the three heavyweight icons in MMA during their peaks in the sport, it is delicate to define which one could be considered the 'greatest' among Junior Gypsy, Fabricio Werdum e Rodrigo Minotauro Walnut.
Protagonists of great emotions and battles in their respective careers, each fighter had, at different times, their times of glory. With my conviction that MMA is a modality that requires evolution with each passing day, my first place trophy goes to Cigano, who presented a great performance in the UFC and of course, when defeated and when winning, always against the best.
At 39 years old, the former Ultimate heavyweight champion will have the chance to perform at a high level in bare-knuckle MMA, a sport the athlete has never experienced before and perhaps prove that he still belongs to the elite of the category.
VH Gonzaga: First of all, it is undeniable what the three contributed to the history of world MMA – not just the Brazilian one. Rodrigo Minotauro He is a living legend of the sport and is recognized for his achievements during Pride and, of course, UFC. However, Bob Sapp's eternal executioner didn't reach a linear Ultimate belt, and that has a weight. Minotaur, as his nickname indicates, became a myth for his battles in the rings and cages. Win or lose, he received applause wherever he went.
However, if I have to choose, I have Fabricio Werdum. Even if he was overcome hard by a Junior Gypsy that 'flew', in the 2000s, 'Vai Cavalo' did more. The first big act, for me, was finishing Fedor Emelianenko, who, for many, is the best heavyweight of all time. The gaucho did it and, for us, without any major difficulties. The conquest of the Ultimate linear belt also came in an apotheotic way, at the end Cain Velazquez, another icon of the division. I believe that the outcome of the bare-knuckle MMA fight will not change my thinking, as both Cigano and Werdum are far from their peaks. However, the Gamebred can celebrate having two of the greatest sharing the cage.
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