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Following a rocky time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, capped by a surprising knockout loss to Octagon newcomer Junior dos Santos at UFC 90, Chute Boxe fighter Fabricio Werdum has left the promotion.

Sources tell MMAWeekly.com that Werdum's exit comes on the heels of a failed contract renegotiation following the loss to dos Santos. The Brazilian came into the fight with the expectation that he would soon be contending for a heavyweight title shot.

The knockout at UFC 90 derailed anything of the like in the near future, and spurred a renegotiation of his contract. Werdum and the UFC were apparently unable to come to an agreement. He has already opened talks with other promotions in the U.S. and Japan.

Hard to believe the UFC did not want to give him a pay raise after being out of shape and getting KOed by a no name fighter.

ho hum. talented guy but not the right fit for the UFC

so boring

people seem to be awakening to the fact the lower weights are where the excitement is. no need to be spending $750,000 on some oaf just because he clears 240 and has tribal tattoos.

cowboyronnie wrote:so boring

people seem to be awakening to the fact the lower weights are where the excitement is. no need to be spending $750,000 on some oaf just because he clears 240 and has tribal tattoos.

+1, I'm tired of the proto-type tribal MMA Douche, and the "he's a BJJ Blackbelt" fighters. This is MMA not Abu Dhabi or a power lifting contest.

i'd be content with just the UFC's LW & WW division. at least until MMA starts attracting good, big athletes.

The Notic wrote:i'd be content with just the UFC's LW & WW division. at least until MMA starts attracting good, big athletes.

I still think UFC should drop the 155 pound division and go with HW, LHW, MW, and WW divisions. With the WEC dropping WW and just going with LW, BW, and FW divisions. This would consolidate talent IMO.

I love the UFC's LW division, but I would love it in the WEC as well. Aside from BJ, who is going to 170, there are no other stars in the division, so moving it to WEC is a win/win move IMO.

The WEC could hang their hat on a 155 pound division with the UFC's talent roster there and it would put the division front and center in a way the UFC can't. It seems perfect to me, Condit heads to the UFC, while fights like Florian/Stephenson could be main events in the WEC.

^ That can only happen (and it should) if the WEC becomes mainstream. WEC has nowhere near the name recognition outside of Las Vegas and the MMA community.

jTF2 wrote:^ That can only happen (and it should) if the WEC becomes mainstream. WEC has nowhere near the name recognition outside of Las Vegas and the MMA community.

But is there a better way to mainstream it than by an infusion of UFC LW's? I agree that the UFC would need to more closely tie itself to WEC as far as ads and publicity to make it work, but with guys like Huerta, T. Griffin, Sherk, Stephenson, Florian, Lauzon, Guida, Danzig, N. Diaz...the fans would follow.

cowboyronnie wrote:so boring

people seem to be awakening to the fact the lower weights are where the excitement is. no need to be spending $750,000 on some oaf just because he clears 240 and has tribal tattoos.

Skinny guys fight til they are burger.... big guys... not so much.

Hmmm...maybe not

According to a report on Tatame.com, heavyweight Fabricio Werdum states he knows nothing about the recent news that he has been released from his UFC contract:

"I'm surprised by the news. My sister is my manager and she's the one that deals with the UFC and she always contacted me first before making any decision. From what I know the UFC have not contacted her. I still have four more fights left on my contract that runs until 2010. From what they told me I should fight in February, July, November and April of 2010. In fact, I'm moving to the US to prepare for those fights with Rafael Cordeiro." said Werdum who is still making final arrangements to make his move to USA in December.