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Gonzaga-Werdum a battle for position

Yahoo Sports

Gabriel Gonzaga is looking to avenge an early career loss. Fabricio Werdum is facing the man who derailed his training partner. And both, coming off high-profile losses, are fighting for survival in the upper echelon of the heavyweight division in Saturday's match, the second-billed attraction underneath the B.J. Penn vs. Joe Stevenson lightweight title match at UFC 80 in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England.

A sold-out crowd of 9,000 fans will be at the Metro Radio Arena to see the two Brazilian natives in a rematch of each man's first high-profile showdown, held on September 13, 2003, on a card in Brazil.

At the time, both were decorated jiu-jitsu world champions. Werdum had three mixed martial arts matches under his belt, Gonzaga had two. The show was held in a makeshift arena in a Brazilian jungle. Werdum won with a stoppage from punches at 2:11 of the third round.

More than four years later, as part of a pay-per-view show that airs at 3 p.m. Eastern time, both have reached a level of international stardom. Werdum ended up as the ground coach for Mirko Cro Cop, and parlayed his position into a regular spot in PRIDE in 2005 and 2006, making a name in his first match when he finished off 300-pound Tom Erikson. Gonzaga started in UFC in late 2005 and scored some impressive wins, leading to a match with Cro Cop last April in which he was considered a major underdog.

In one of UFC's most memorable moments last year, Gonzaga knocked Cro Cop out with a high kick in Manchester, England. If it wasn't for Matt Serra's victory over Georges St. Pierre a few weeks earlier, Gonzaga's KO of Cro Cop would have been remembered as the biggest in-the-octagon shock of 2007 in UFC.

But as many times as that high kick was shown, Gonzaga is best known for being the latest in the, "Bigger, stronger and younger than Randy Couture†club, as he went down to an upset defeat against the aging gunslinger on Aug. 25 when he challenged for Couture’s heavyweight title in Las Vegas.

Werdum lost a decision to Andrei Arlovski in his UFC debut in a lackluster match on the same card as Gonzaga’s win over Cro Cop.

Werdum, 9-3-1, has never been finished in a fight. Gonzaga, 9-2, figures to have the on-paper edge. While both are master grapplers, Gonzaga appears to have the better stand-up game. He's a huge man, with the ability to carry 252 pounds and be in condition. Werdum, who still lives in Brazil, is taller and his long legs have been known to set up triangles and armbars on the ground, but Gonzaga should be very familiar in negating that game. Werdum couldn’t knock Arlovski off his feet, and Gonzaga shouldn't be any easier.

But Gonzaga figured to have the stronger stand-up game than Couture, and the weaker stand-up game than Cro Cop. In both cases, things didn't turn out like they "should have" on paper. The pressure is likely more on Werdum, who will find himself out of the title hunt with a loss, and if he doesn't have an impressive showing, his UFC future could be in jeopardy.

Gonzaga, who has since relocated to Ludlow, Mass., could find himself in line for a title opportunity with a strong win, in a division that lacks depth. Gonzaga's UFC future would likely be safe with a loss, but any title aspirations would be out the window.

UFC 80 has already set the arena gate record, breaking a mark set by a Ricky Hatton boxing match in 2002.

OTHER MATCHES OF NOTE:

  • Welterweight Marcus Davis, 13-3, returns to the country where he stole the show on the most-watched UFC broadcast in history. At UFC 75 on Sept. 8 in London, Davis, a converted boxer, was knocked down by a right high kick from British kickboxer Paul Taylor, and pounded on the ground. Davis was taking punishment against the cage when he got a takedown. As Taylor went to escape, he didn't get his arm fully away, and Davis caught him with an armbar. It was one of the richer armbars in MMA history, because Davis got a $40,000 bonus that night for best finish and another $40,000 for having the best match on the show.

This time he'll face Jess Liaudin (12-8), who has won five in a row.

  • Wilson Gouveia, 9-4, having won three fights in a row since a loss to Keith Jardine, faces Jason Lambert, 23-6. Lambert is coming off a stunning knockout win over Renato Sobral, and needs a win to be considered a significant part of the talent-rich light heavyweight division.

  • The other main card fight pits two well-known fighters off the The Ultimate Fighter reality series as Kendall Grove takes on Jorge Rivera. Hawaii native Grove, the middleweight winner of Season 3, the highest-rated season, is 8-4. At 6-foot-6 and 185 pounds, his enormous reach and height made him difficult for anyone in the division. But he's coming off a knockout loss to Patrick Cote. Cote is a common opponent, as he knocked Rivera out of the running in Season 4 of the show by winning a decision over the Boston-based fighter.

Rivera, 14-6, is best known for the episode of the show where his daughter was born while he was in Las Vegas filming. He'll turn 36 next month, and has wins over high-profile fighters Travis Lutter and David Loiseau. It's an intriguing match as Rivera is the harder hitter, but Grove's reach might be too much for him to overcome.