(Courtesy of UFC)
Fabricio Werdum become interim heavyweight champion when he knocked out Mark Hunt back at UFC 180 in 2014. Werdum was originally scheduled to face then-champion Cain Velasquez in the UFC 180 main event at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City but an injury forced Velasquez out of the title bout four weeks before the event. Mark Hunt stepped in on short notice and the fight promotion created an interim heavyweight belt for the winner.
Werdum’s win over Hunt wasn’t unexpected, but how he finished the New Zealand striker shocked the world. Hunt, known for his knockout power and granite chin, was finished midway through the second frame after absorbing a knee to the chin from Werdum.
Werdum faced Velasquez in his next outing and became the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion when he defeated Velasquez via guillotine choke at UFC 188 in June 2015.
Don’t miss Werdum face Alexander Volkov in the main event of UFC London on Saturday. The winner could be next in line to fight for the heavyweight title. Champion Stipe Miocic takes on light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier at UFC 226 in July.
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Tune in Saturday on MMAWeekly.com for UFC London: Werdum vs. Volkov Live Results and Fight Stats, Barring any last-minute changes, the first bout is scheduled to begin at 1:45 p.m. ET / 10:45 a.m. PT.
