Criticized for leaving UFC 196, Werdum responds: 'Best decision of my life'

F. Werdum (photo) won the belt on June 13, 2015, in Mexico. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

After announcing that he would not be able to fight at UFC 196 due to injury, Fabricio Werdum, the organization's heavyweight champion, received a lot of criticism from all over. However, the gaucho does not regret his decision and stated that those who defamed him for it are “cruel people”.

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On Monday night (25), Werdum announced that he would not defend his title at the February 6 event because he was suffering from foot and back injuries. Some fans criticized him for this, as Werdum himself declared that the fight would continue if it were against his original opponent, Cain Velazquez, who was also injured.

On Wednesday, Werdum sent a long statement to the press in which he defended his decision and stated that the controversial situation helped him see who the people on his side really are. “Not fighting was the best decision I made in my life. Not having fought against Velasquez, nor against [Stipe] Miocic, nor anyone. Of course I'm sad about not fighting, I had a back injury, but at the same time I'm happy because I managed to see a lot of things in general. It's a phase. Some people spoke very badly about me, really badly. Others supported me, such as family and friends. I kept thinking how cruel people are. I don't think so, I'm sure I made the best decision. I was criticized without being defeated. I just decided not to fight for my health, to keep fighting”, declared the champion.

Werdum continued: “This decision was great to see who is who, for me to see who is with me in difficult times. I love fighting, training to put on a show, interacting with people, the glamor of fighting... I didn't fight after training and dedicating myself and seeing how bad people are. This is a rant, but I'll say again that not fighting and thinking about myself was the best decision of my life”, insisted the fighter.

Without finding a suitable replacement, UFC 196 will have John hendricks e Stephen Thompson in the main event and will no longer be broadcast on pay-per-view in the United States.