The PFL made a splashy move Monday by announcing it had signed former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum, who will compete in the upcoming 2021 season.
It’s clear the PFL is ecstatic about this, pushing all in on that all-important promotion part of being a fight promotion.
On Twitter, the PFL announced the move with a vibrant graphic dubbing Werdum “MMA HEAVYWEIGHT GOAT.”
BREAKING: @FabricioWerdum has joined the 2021 PFL Heavyweight Division! pic.twitter.com/mHP2yZMP9I
— PFL MMA (@ProFightLeague) November 16, 2020
And in a press release statement, PFL CEO Peter Murray took it to the next level by comparing Werdum to someone widely believed to be the GOAT of the NFL:
“I am excited to announce Fabricio Werdum, the Tom Brady of MMA, has signed with the Professional Fighters League. Fabricio is one of the greatest heavyweights of all time and knows when he steps into the PFL cage this coming season, it is more than a fight. The PFL sport season format provides an opportunity to control his destiny.”
Not gonna lie. My gut reaction was, “Hey, pump the brakes.” Has Werdum accomplished the MMA equivalent of winning six Super Bowl championships? No, he has not.
But the more I think about, of course this is what the PFL should be doing. And I get it: Werdum and Brady are both 43 years old – born four days apart actually – and still competing at a high level. There’s some kind of parallel there, I suppose. Plus, when you make your biggest signing to date, a little hyperbole never hurt anyone.
To be clear, Werdum is no Tom Brady of MMA, but he did win a UFC title and owns submission wins over two guys in the heavyweight GOAT conversation in Fedor Emelianenko and Cain Velasquez. So you know what? Go nuts, PFL.
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