<! mediaid=3125105 AP: img align="right" src="" alt="" />Within minutes of Fabricio Werdum beating Fedor Emelianenko on June 26, Fedor's handlers at M-1 Global began calling for a rematch, and in the weeks since then, Fedor's promotion has been steadfast in its insistence that the only fight it wants to make is Fedor-Werdum 2, hopefully in the fall.
But it takes two to make a fight, and Werdum does not appear to be on board with the idea of a quick rematch.
A report two weeks ago said Werdum wanted to wait "at least eight months" before fighting Fedor again, and a new report on a Brazilian web site says Werdum plans to have elbow surgery and not fight again until 2011.
"I will undergo a surgery on my elbow that I have put off for some time," Werdum told Super Lutas, as translated by MMA Mania. "We're in July and I only want to come back 100 percent recovered. I think it's hard to make it back this year due the physical therapy, conditioning and all else. Then I might just get back next year."
Now, it's possible that the combination of Strikeforce, M-1 Global and CBS or Showtime will get together and make Werdum an offer he can't refuse: Maybe if the money is right, Werdum can delay this elbow surgery that he's already "put off for some time" for a little bit longer. Werdum isn't necessarily opposed to quick turnarounds: He had less than three months off before beating Antonio Silva in November, and he once fought five times in a span of just over 10 months in Pride.
But Werdum has also had some long layoffs in his career, and he isn't the type to rush into a fight just because a promoter asks him to. And considering that Strikeforce is already on the record as saying it wants Fedor to fight Alistair Overeem next, it seems unlikely that they'll suddenly change course and offer Werdum a pay raise just so they can book Fedor-Werdum 2.
Which means Fedor may be stuck with the choice of either taking the fight he doesn't want, against Overeem, or sitting on the bench while he waits for the fight he does want, against Werdum.
But it takes two to make a fight, and Werdum does not appear to be on board with the idea of a quick rematch.
A report two weeks ago said Werdum wanted to wait "at least eight months" before fighting Fedor again, and a new report on a Brazilian web site says Werdum plans to have elbow surgery and not fight again until 2011.
"I will undergo a surgery on my elbow that I have put off for some time," Werdum told Super Lutas, as translated by MMA Mania. "We're in July and I only want to come back 100 percent recovered. I think it's hard to make it back this year due the physical therapy, conditioning and all else. Then I might just get back next year."
Now, it's possible that the combination of Strikeforce, M-1 Global and CBS or Showtime will get together and make Werdum an offer he can't refuse: Maybe if the money is right, Werdum can delay this elbow surgery that he's already "put off for some time" for a little bit longer. Werdum isn't necessarily opposed to quick turnarounds: He had less than three months off before beating Antonio Silva in November, and he once fought five times in a span of just over 10 months in Pride.
But Werdum has also had some long layoffs in his career, and he isn't the type to rush into a fight just because a promoter asks him to. And considering that Strikeforce is already on the record as saying it wants Fedor to fight Alistair Overeem next, it seems unlikely that they'll suddenly change course and offer Werdum a pay raise just so they can book Fedor-Werdum 2.
Which means Fedor may be stuck with the choice of either taking the fight he doesn't want, against Overeem, or sitting on the bench while he waits for the fight he does want, against Werdum.
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