Junior Dos Santos-Fabricio Werdum Sequel 15 Years After the Original

Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum first fought at UFC 90 in 2008. The rematch will take place this Friday for Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA.

Junior dos Santos made his UFC debut in 2008 in memorable fashion, knocking out the highly favored Fabricio Werdum with a ferocious uppercut only 80 seconds into the fight.

Fifteen years later, he looks to repeat history.

Dos Santos meets Werdum in the main event of Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA event on Friday, seeking to make another unforgettable debut–this time in bareknuckle–at Werdum’s expense.

“I’ve thought about a second fight for a long time,” said Dos Santos, who dabbled in pro wrestling before his most recent fight in May of last year. “It almost happened in the UFC, but now we get to do it here.”

The fight between the two former UFC heavyweight champions takes place in Jacksonville, Florida at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, and it will air for free on the Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA YouTube page. Unlike their first meeting, Werdum knows what to expect from Dos Santos.

“He took me lightly at UFC 90,” said Dos Santos. “He said he’d beat me and Brock Lesnar in the same night. A lot later, I understood his strategy. It was my UFC debut. He wanted to make me even more nervous than I already was. It worked, but it also caused me to react.”

Quando vc chega em frente ao espelho no banheiro depois daquele treino pesado e da de cara com Junior Cigano pronto pra lutar.
Não tem jeito, tem que rolar umas fotinhos certo?! Haha #quemnunca #quemsempre 💪
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When you get in front of the mirror after that hard training and… pic.twitter.com/Xxhbpizx3y

— Junior Dos Santos (@junior_cigano) September 5, 2023

Werdum has not fought since May of 2021, and he is eager to return. Even at the age of 46, Werdum still believes he can still do damage, especially without gloves in bareknuckle combat.

“My body and mind are rested,” said Werdum. “The money is good. And this makes me feel young. That is the secret. I couldn’t do this four times a year, but just one old-school bareknuckle fight with no gloves, training for this makes me feel young.”

Unlike Dos Santos, who was delighted to discuss the bout from UFC 90, Werdum preferred to focus on the present.

“Everything has changed from the past,” said Werdum. “This is a whole new moment. I’m focused on what is happening now, and I’m excited to fight again.”

Dos Santos, 39, is seven years younger than Werdum, but both enter this fight in the twilight of their careers. All signs indicate both fighters are still in a position where they can put on an entertaining bout, and it is a rare chance to see a heavyweight rematch a decade-and-a-half after the initial meeting.

“I have the privilege to do something I love to do, that’s why I’m still here,” said Dos Santos. “I think the fans really want to see this fight, and it’s important for us. It’s a good way for us to shut the door. We won’t be fighting much longer. The time to do it is now.”