Former UFC heavyweight champion, Fabricio Werdum (24-9, 1 NC), has signed a deal with PFL. ESPN was the first to report the news that Werdum has made up his mind and will be heading to the Professional Fighters League.
It’s been a very interesting year for Werdum leading up to the PFL signing. Back in May, he made his return to the UFC after being suspended by USADA. Werdum had a lackluster performance in a loss to Alexey Oleynik.
After that, Werdum was booked against Alexander Gustafsson on Fight Island. Werdum looked much better in that fight and was able to use his superior ground skills to submit the former title challenger in the first round.
After the fight was over, it was announced that Werdum was a free agent. While PFL was on the radar, many expected Werdum to land with Bellator. Werdum had a previous relationship with Scott Coker and there were exciting fights in Bellator.
The two sides began negotiating a deal. PFL remained interested, however, up until last week, Bellator was the heavy favorite. Then it was reported that the talks between the two sides fell apart.Â
After the failed negotiations with Bellator, Werdum announced that his management was in talks with PFL. It didn’t take long after that. Today we have learned that Werdum will be taking his talents to the Professional Fighters League.
PFL’s New Heavyweight
It’s been a tough year for PFL much like it’s been for the rest of the world. With everything going on, the promotion was not able to host any additional events in 2020 which brought great frustration to their stable of fighters.
Last week, it was announced that their star female fighter, Kayla Harrison, would be taking a fight in Invicta. However, the promotion is gearing up for a strong return in 2021 and Werdum will be a part of that return.
The heavyweight division is not steep inside of PFL, but signing Werdum was a good first step. Highlights in their heavyweight division include Ali Isaev, Justin Willis, and Mohammed Usman.