Fabricio Werdum vs. Mark Hunt: A Full Head-to-Toe Breakdown
Times are tough for the top mixed martial arts promotion on the planet. While it once planned to bring the undisputed baddest man on the planet to the very soil into which his family roots are entrenched, an unfortunate knee injury took a highly anticipated heavyweight championship bout and effectively morphed it into a shell of its former self.
Don't get me wrong—this is undoubtedly a phenomenal opportunity for Mark Hunt, Cain Velasquez's replacement. He'll look to shatter all former expectations placed upon him and his old 5-7 professional record by having Dana White wrap a shiny interim title around his waist in the heart of Mexico.
But improving his record to 11-8-1 won't come without breaking a sweat. He'll have to get past surging heavyweight title contender Fabricio Werdum, who's authored a four-fight winning streak since finding his way back under the bright lights of the UFC.
Scroll along as we provide a head-to-toe breakdown and explain which of the two fighters holds the upper hand in striking, grappling and wrestling.
Striking
1 of 5
As noted in the previous slide, Mark Hunt wasn't always a Super Samoan. Boasting a sub-.500 record from from 2009 to early 2011, Hunt's performances inside of competition were anything but "Super."
But then something happened.
Suddenly, the aging Hunt was coming into his own as one of the nastiest knockout artists the heavyweight division had to offer. He managed to knock three dudes senseless in four victories before running into a well-rounded Junior dos Santos.
But then there's Fabricio Werdum, who—up until his second UFC debut against Roy Nelson in 2012—was anything but a striker. He was a world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist, sure, but not much else.
But then something happened.
He stepped into the cage with Nelson and essentially shocked the world with his solid footwork and active pursuit of the knockout. Fist after fist, knee after knee—Werdum finally came full circle after forcing himself to learn the trade that evaded him and his ultimate success for so long.
This'll probably be the closest category of the bunch. But with a 25-minute fight ahead of them, the nod goes to the man keeping us on the edge of our seats while he wields dynamite in his hands at all times.
Edge: Hunt
Wrestling
2 of 5
Mark Hunt, for obvious reasons, has never been one to try and wrestle anybody on a consistent basis. He is a striker. He's always been a striker. He will always be a striker.
Fabricio Werdum, on the other hand, became pretty fond of getting fights onto the mat by any means necessary.
It may not be easy to get a guy like Hunt down to the mat—the man's built like a tank and rarely throws kicks to make himself vulnerable enough for the takedown. Rest assured that this trend will continue in his pursuit for the punch-induced knockout against the better grappler.
With that said, you'd be hard-pressed to find enough concrete evidence discrediting the Brazilian fighter as the favorite in this category.
Edge: Werdum
Grappling
3 of 5
Fabricio Werdum has spent the better part of his 12-year career cornering himself as a grappler. In fact, with nine submission victories—one of which came against Big Nog—you could argue that Werdum is the greatest heavyweight submission artist of all time.
And while Werdum has all but cemented his legacy as a world-class grappler in MMA, Mark Hunt has struggled to do the same. With zero wins and six losses by way of submission, it's safe to say Hunt will feel anything but comfortable if the fight hits the mat.
By all means necessary—unless we're talking about an unconscious Werdum lying horizontal on the canvas—Hunt must keep this fight standing.
Edge: Werdum
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Intangibles
4 of 5
Mark Hunt: One-Punch Knockout Power
Whether you're in there for five minutes or 25 minutes, one thing is certain: You'd better keep your hands up when fighting Mark Hunt. Few men in the sport have the sort of power that Hunt carries in both of his hands.
Fabricio Werdum will need to put the Super Samoan away before he can feel comfortable with his chances of taking the gold back with him to Brazil.
Fabricio Werdum: Speed and Cardio
In many ways, this fight will carry heavy semblances to the fight Werdum had with Roy Nelson. He's known as a much better striker these days, so expect him to utilize his improved footwork, speed and cardio to outwork his elder opponent.
Should he be able to wear Hunt down with a heavy combination of overwhelming strikes and grappling in the clinch, Werdum could take the fight to the mat where he'll be able to work his magic.
Prediction
5 of 5
Many doubted him in the weeks leading up to his bout with a heavy-handed Roy Nelson. An overwhelming majority did the same in his final bout before a title shot against an agile striker in Travis Browne.
They were wrong both times.
This time he steps in as the man who earned a shot at the champion, not the one who was given an opportunity at the interim title in a time of despair.
Mark Hunt will be a game opponent for Vai Cavalo, but, all things considered, all signs point toward the second Brazilian UFC heavyweight champion in the last two years.
Prediction: Werdum defeats Hunt via unanimous decision
Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University's student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA.
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