by Adam Josephson
Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum recently shared intriguing details about a backstage encounter with Jon Jones at the ADCC event.
“It was great to see Jones again,” Werdum said. “I was surprised when he asked me to teach him how I make my ‘happy face.'”
Werdum recounted that he and Jones first bonded during separate appearances as VIP guests for events in Russia and the Brazilian state of Goias. “Both experiences gave me a chance to know Jones as a person, and we had a great time together,” Werdum shared. “We even reminisced about a party in Russia and a wild grappling session in a small hotel room in Goias, where Wanderlei Silva and Rafael Cordeiro joined us. It was chaotic—two big guys almost wrecking the room!”
Jones also sought Werdum’s perspective on his 2016 title fight against Stipe Miocic at UFC 198, where Werdum was knocked out in the first round. “I told Jones I didn’t have much to offer since the fight ended so quickly,” Werdum said with a laugh. “I admitted that I wasn’t as focused as I should have been. Defending the belt in front of 40,000 people in Curitiba was thrilling, but I didn’t train properly. I deserved that loss, though I wish I had been as hungry as Miocic. It would have been a better fight.”
Looking ahead to a potential matchup between Jones and Miocic, Werdum expressed confidence in Jones. “I told him I see him taking Miocic down and punishing him until the referee steps in,” Werdum said.
Werdum was touched by Jones’ parting words. “He looked into my eyes and said, ‘You’re a really nice guy with a big heart.’ Hearing that from someone like Jones was special,” Werdum recalled. “I even sent him a WhatsApp message to thank him for his kindness and wish him well. It was a weekend full of memorable encounters. After catching up with Mark Kerr and reminiscing about how his invitation to train in 2003 changed my career, it was great to see Jones too.”
