Fabricio Werdum still hopes to fight again despite lengthy USADA suspension

Having received a two-year sanction from the United States Anti-Doping Agency, Fabricio Werdum will not be able to fight until May of the year 2020. By that time, the former UFC heavyweight champion, who is presently 41, will be almost 43 years old.

Despite this unfortunate fact, Fabricio Werdum says he still hopes to continue fighting. He’s just not sure where or when it might happen.

“I want to keep fighting,” Fabricio Werdum said in a recent interview with Combate (translation via MMAjunkie). “I’m training every day – of course, I’m not training with the same intensity of when I have a fight. … I’ve thought of fighting in a different country (outside the jurisdiction of USADA). I’m going to see what I’ll do now. It’s hard now – it’s all very recent. I still have to talk to the UFC. I’m still working on TV as a commentator (with the UFC’s Spanish-language broadcasts). There are many things happening and I need to take a moment to really think, because sometimes I’ll say something, and I’ll regret it later.

“I’ll have to see what I’ll do,” he added. “I have two more fights in the UFC. How long will I have to wait? Will I have to wait out these two years? Will I be able to fight in another country? What will I do? I don’t know yet. I’m still indecisive. I still have a lot of thinking to do.”

Fabricio Werdum has not fought since March, when he was knocked out by former Bellator heavyweight champion Alexander Volkov. This loss was preceded by back-to-back defeats of Marcin Tybura and Walt Harris. He was briefly scheduled to fight Alexey Oleynik in the main event of the recent UFC Moscow card, but this plan was nixed when he tested positive for trenbolone and was suspended by USADA.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 9/30/2018.