Unhappy with his current two year suspension from the sport due to a positive drug test last year, former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum has revealed that he’s attempting to be released from the his UFC contract.
“What I would really like right now is to be free, that the UFC would have consideration with me and release me,” Werdum told Portal Du Vale Tudo yesterday. “It’s a matter of Ali [Albedaziz] talking with (White) now. Ali really has a good friendship with Dana White. It’s not only up to Dana. They always say that, and I go talk to someone else and they say it’s not only up to them as well, it’s that game. I obviously love fighting in the UFC, but after this (situation), this unfair doping, I would like to fight in other promotions.”
If Werdum was able to negotiate his release he’d be walking away not only from the remainder of his two-fight UFC deal, but also his work as a UFC color commentator in the Latin American market, which reportedly also earns him an additional $260,000 per year.
And a further show of how serious the 41-year-old is about escaping from his UFC contract is that Werdum has also stated he’s willing to agree not to fight in the U.S. anymore if it would convince the promotion to let him go.
“I already told the UFC, I’ll sign a term that I would not fight in the United States anymore,” Werdum said. “I’d fight overseas, Japan, Russia, Europe, wherever, but I wouldn’t fight in the United States to cause no harm. I would sign that to be released. I just want to be free to do what I want, which is fight. It’s not about money. I still have a lot to show. I’m 41, but I feel like a kid.”
