Werdum on the UFC: They used and threw me out
Posted By StickinUrChick Strikeforce News

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expert Fabricio "Vai Cavalo" Werdum recently spoke in regards to his experience with the UFC. The Brazilian, who was 2-2 with the promotion, was coming off a disappointing TKO loss to rising heavyweight prospect Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos when he parted ways with the UFC.

"I lost that fight against Cigano and everything changed," Werdum explained. "I had a UFC contract, but lost it cause I refused when they wanted me to take a pay cut and there was no deal," he continued.

Since his release from the UFC, "Vai Cavalo" has returned to action under the Strikeforce banner, winning three straight and shocking the world with his sixty-nine second submission victory over Fedor Emelianenko. In hindsight, it would seem the contractual dispute may have been the best thing to ever happen to his mixed martial arts career, and while Werdum says he still feels a bit of animosity, he understands that as a fighter its best to remain professional and move forward, as he explains:

“They kind of used me and threw me out. That UFC business is complicated. It’s tough to swallow that they would terminate your contract after two nice wins just because you lost the last one, regardless of how it happened. Business is business, it seems, and there’s no soft spots involved. That’s how it works – if they don’t like it, you’re out. Naturally, there’s a little resentment, but since we must be professional with everyone, I can’t take it personally. If that’s the road you choose, you could get in trouble so it’s best to stay professional.”