Former UFC contender Fabricio Werdum is returning to the octagon for the first time in over three years.

In his last outing with the promotion, Werdum was upset by UFC newcomer Junior dos Santos. Little did he know that the unheralded up-and-comer would go on an undefeated run in the organization and eventually capture UFC gold.

The knockout loss to "Cigano" is not so bad now in hindsight, though the loss prompted the Brazilian to spearhead a move towards the promotion's then biggest competitor in Strikeforce.

There, Werdum went 3-1 under the San Jose banner, notching up victories over Mike Kyle, Antonio Silva and an upset performance against Fedor Emelianenko—submitting the legendary fighter with a triangle choke in just 69-seconds. The loss was the first in nearly ten years for the "Last Emperor."

His impressive run in Strikeforce eventually leveraged the UFC in bringing back the touted submission ace, who has twice cinched titles in the world renowned ADCC Submission Wrestling World championships.

Once Zuffa, the subsidiary of the UFC, purchased Strikeforce, Werdum was among some of the obvious choices to bring back into the fold. His first task at hand will be against Season 10 winner of The Ultimate Fighter, in Roy Nelson—a gritty veteran who wields knockout power and underrated jiu-jitsu skills.

Should Werdum defeat "Big Country" it would mean that "Vai Cavalo" could become an immediate contender in the heavyweight class. However, should he incur a loss, it would be his second consecutive defeat after a lackluster performance against Alistair Overeem last June.

A defeat tonight is out of the question for Werdum. Should he incur another loss, he might as be saying bye-bye to any aspirations of chasing the UFC title, let alone securing his spot on the roster.