Fabricio Werdum calls off comeback due to ‘lack of motivation’ after withdrawal of UFC legend opponent

The promotion has already encountered some issues with the first few major matchups that were announced featuring some of the biggest names on the roster.

Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua withdrew from his clash with Yoel Romero with ‘The Soldier of God’ now set to take on former Bellator champion Gegard Mousasi.

A fellow Brazilian icon has also announced that he won’t be competing after his scheduled opponent, Frank Mir, underwent emergency surgery.

Fabricio Werdum withdraws from GFL due to lack of motivation after losing Frank Mir fight

One of the first matchups that was announced to be taking place in GFL would’ve seen two former top heavyweights meet for the first time.

Fabricio Werdum and Frank Mir are two of the greatest submission specialists in the history of the sport but with a combined age of 92, they’re both far past their primes.

Mir’s inclusion in the promotion was quickly ruled out following his health update which has now had a knock on effect on Werdum’s career.

The 47-year-old former UFC heavyweight champion departed the Octagon in 2020 and has since made one appearance in PFL and one in Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA where he was beaten by Junior dos Santos.

During a recent appearance on the Mundo da Luta podcast, Werdum announced that he will no longer be making the walk for the GFL due to the fact that he won’t be facing Mir.

Given both men’s credentials, this matchup was clearly a draw for ‘Vai Cavalo’ but with his opponent out, he stated that he no longer has the motivation to compete.

“Frank Mir was a fight that motivated me to return. After he announced his withdrawal, I also lost my motivation. The atmosphere in Andre Dida’s academy in Curitiba is unbelievable. It was such a great experience to return do training routine with master Rafael, Wanderlei, Dida, Brunno Hulk and Blindado, but I have to feel the same motivation to return and that was not the case when Mir (withdrew).”

Fabricio Werdum’s exit could point to a big problem for the GFL going forward

The GFL has received a lot of criticism ahead of its first event but it has seemingly been able to sign some big names and put them in fights that at least make sense.

Fabricio Werdum’s exit might have exposed a potential issue though with what happens when the fight that these big names are interested in either can’t happen or has already taken place.

For both the fighters and the fans, it’s important that the promotion can continue to put on interesting matchups to keep people engaged in the product.

GFL 1 and 2 in Los Angeles have some good fights and whilst these events are obviously incredibly important, seeing how sustainable this is will be the real test.