Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabrício Werdum revealed in a recent episode of his podcast “Nem me vi” that he had discussed facing American fighter Nick Rodrigues in UFC Invitational 5, which took place on October 10th. Werdum stated that a lack of financial agreement was the primary reason the fight did not come to fruition. As a result, Rodrigues faced Yuri Simões and defeated the Brazilian by decision.
Werdum commented, “I was offered this fight, but it did not happen due to the purse. They asked if I wanted to face Nicky Rod, but I did not want to accept because of the finances. I wanted the deal to be worthwhile. Ten days before the fight, I needed to make good money. Even if they contacted me two months earlier, I would have accepted, but the compensation needed to be better. He is 28 years old and I am 46, yet I would still fight, but for the compensation I require.
Werdum submitting Fedor
Nick Rodriguez was the runner up at ADCC 2022, losing only to current grappling star Gordon Ryan. Rodriguez has achieved success in super fights and grand prix events. Meanwhile, Werdum has not experienced a victory since 2020 when he defeated Alexander Gustafsson in his final UFC bout. Prior to his loss to Cigano in a bare-knuckle MMA contest earlier this year, Werdum was coming off an unsuccessful fight against Renan Problema in PFL. Over his career, Werdum has a record of 36 fights with 24 wins, 10 losses, one draw, and one no contest, in addition to numerous titles in jiu-jitsu and grappling at the highest levels.
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