Ultimate encaminha @FabricioWerdum x @oleynikufc para o UFC 250, em São Paulo | combate | Globoesporte https://t.co/zQpLSg9Hnj com @vevyrodrigues
— Raphael Marinho (@raphamarinho) February 13, 2020
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is stacking its return to Brazil in May with another major heavyweight battle.
According to a report from Combate on Thursday, former heavyweight champ Fabricio Werdum (23-8-1) will be returning from a lengthy suspension to face off against Alexey Oleynik (58-13-1). The two will reportedly meet at UFC 250, which is set to go down on May 9 at the Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Werdum has not competed since losing in the UFC Fight Night 127 headliner against Alexander Volkov at UFC Fight Night 127 in March 2018. The 42-year-old Brazilian has been under suspension after testing positive for banned substances in April 2018, but received a 10-month reduction in his sentence from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. He earned this by providing “information that leads to the discovery of another violation or which results in a criminal or disciplinary body discovering an offense.” Werdum wrested the heavyweight strap from Cain Velasquez by submitting him with a guillotine choke in June 2015. He was unable to successfully defend the belt, however, suffering a first-round knockout at the hands of Stipe Miocic at UFC 198 in May 2016.
Oleynik ended a two-fight skid by tapping Maurice Greene with a second-round armbar in January at UFC 246. The Russian grappling whiz has recorded 79 percent of his wins by submission, while only being submitted twice in his career. “The Boa Constrictor” holds more tapout victories than his opponent holds in total bouts. Oleynik the proud owner of five “Performance of the Night” bonuses, only Stefan Struve, Miocic, Junior dos Santos and Mark Hunt hold more post-fight bonuses at heavyweight throughout UFC history.
UFC 250 will take place on May 9 at the Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The card does not currently have a headliner, although the promotion is considering a bantamweight title tilt atop the card with Henry Cejudo defending the strap against former featherweight king Jose Aldo. Additionally, a pair of women’s bantamweight affairs are set for the card, as Ketlen Vieira will lock horns with Marion Reneau, while Bethe Correia will take on Pannie Kianzad.