LOS ANGELES – Fabricio Werdum is getting closer to a return and still has some fight left in him.
The former UFC heavyweight champion is currently serving a two-year suspension from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency stemming from an out-of-competition test conducted in April 2018. Having never failed a drug test in the past, a frustrated Werdum was forced to sit on the sidelines and, to this day, has maintained his innocence.
“For sure I’m very sad about this. I know I’m innocent,” Werdum said Tuesday during media day for Dominance MMA.
As things stand, Werdum is eligible to return in May 2020 and is ready to come back and produce more memorable performances. Werdum has claimed stunning victories before, snapping Fedor Emelianenko’s incredible run in 2010 with a first-round submission and also submitting Cain Velasquez in Mexico to capture the UFC heavyweight title in 2015.
“I come back soon for sure,” Werdum said. “I want to come back very soon, because I’m 42 years old, and I’m young. My mind is very young. This is the point. This is a secret. I come back, and I surprise you again. I shock the world again for sure.”
Despite being 42, Werdum (23-8-1 MMA, 11-5 UFC) still has several fights left in him. All he knows is he wants to be the one to determine when he’s done fighting.
“I just want to come back, maybe four fights, five, I don’t know,” Werdum said. “I want to say stop when I want to stop myself not somebody say you stop fighting. That’s it. I want to stop when I say OK, I’m not good. I did everything. I’m a jiu-jitsu champion, grappling champion, I’m ‘Triple C,’ too (laughs).”
Fabricio Werdum: 'I shock the world again for sure' when I return to UFC