Junior dos Santos Withdraws from Grappling Match Against Fabricio Werdum

Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum will have to wait a little longer to complete their trilogy. The former UFC heavyweight champions were scheduled to meet in a grappling match on Aug. 8 at Kings Championship in Florianópolis, Brazil, but Dos Santos announced he has withdrawn from the event.

The matchup would have marked the first time the longtime rivals faced each other under grappling rules after meeting twice in MMA. It remains to be seen whether Werdum will receive a replacement opponent for the event.

Junior dos Santos vs. Fabricio Werdum Trilogy Postponed

Junior dos Santos took to Instagram to announce he would no longer be able to compete at Kings Championship against Fabricio Werdum. Although he did not reveal the reason behind his withdrawal, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion made it clear he still hopes to face Werdum in the future, leaving the door open for one final chapter in their rivalry.

Rivalry Spans Nearly Two Decades for Junior dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum

Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum first met at UFC 90 in 2008, when "Cigano" announced himself to the MMA world by knocking out the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace in just 81 seconds. More than 15 years later, the rivals met again at Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 5, where dos Santos earned a split decision victory.

Their scheduled grappling match would have added a different chapter to one of the longest running rivalries between Brazilian heavyweights.

Junior dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum Following Different Paths Post-UFC

Although both fighters left the UFC in 2020, their careers have taken different directions. Fabricio Werdum has competed only twice since leaving the promotion, while Junior dos Santos remained more active, winning the inaugural Gamebred FC Heavyweight Championship before returning to MMA earlier this year.

For now, Kings Championship has not announced whether Fabricio Werdum will receive a replacement opponent or if the former UFC champion will also be removed from the card. Junior dos Santos, however, made it clear he remains interested in facing his longtime rival under grappling rules in the future.

If the matchup is eventually rebooked, it will give the former UFC champions another opportunity to revisit a rivalry that has followed both men throughout their careers.