Former UFC heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum won his first MMA fight in more than 14 months Saturday night, defeating Mike Kyle on the Strikeforce: Gina Carano vs. Cyborg undercard.
For Werdum, the fight went exactly as he wanted it: He was able to secure an early takedown, got into good position on the ground, and caught Kyle in a guillotine, forcing him to tap. The first-round submission win was the first victory for Werdum since he beat Brandon Vera in June at UFC 85. Werdum, once considered a potential UFC heavyweight title contender, was dropped by the UFC after Junior dos Santos knocked him out in October at UFC 90.
But while the UFC didn't think Werdum was good enough, there's no question that Werdum is a great Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner. Werdum is a real threat in a Strikeforce heavyweight division that also includes champion Alistair Overeem, top prospect Brett Rogers and, of course, the best fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko.
"I'm so happy," Werdum said afterward. "I trained so hard. I trained so much jiu jitsu. ... I'll fight anybody. Fedor or anyone."
For more on Strikeforce, check our results, live chat and MMA Twitter updates.
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Carano vs. Cyborg
Cris Cyborg punches Gina Carano in the face at the Strikeforce event on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009, in San Jose, California.
Esther Lin, Strikeforce
Esther Lin, Strikeforce
Carano vs. Cyborg
Esther Lin, Strikeforce
Esther Lin, Strikeforce
Jon Kopaloff, Getty Images
Esther Lin, Strikeforce
Jon Kopaloff, Getty Images
Jeff Chiu, AP
Jon Kopaloff, Getty Images
Jeff Chiu, AP
Esther Lin, Strikeforce
Esther Lin, Strikeforce