Werdum hasn’t been seen since upsetting Cain Velasquez last June to win the belt, so perhaps there was some ring rust. Tonight’s bout also took place in Brazil, so maybe Werdum felt added pressure to perform. Or, Miocic was the better fighter and wasted no time in proving that by plastering Werdum in front of his Brazilian brethren.
For some reason, Werdum was wildly chasing after Miocic before getting caught with a short right hook. Werdum instantly face-planted on the canvas. The official stoppage came at 2:47 in the opening round.
UFC 198 took place Saturday inside Arena Atletico Paranaense in Curitiba, Brazil.