Fabricio Werdum prefers Junior dos Santos rematch, but isn’t ‘afraid’ to kick and punch Cain Velasquez

In 2008, a relatively unknown Junior dos Santos made his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut at UFC 90 by knocking out perennial heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum in the very first round.

It's a loss that still haunts "Vai Cavalo" to this day.

And as Werdum patiently awaits the outcome of the much-anticipated trilogy fight between current 265-pound champion Cain Velasquez and the aforementioned Dos Santos on Oct. 19, 2013 at UFC 166 in Houston, Texas, to see which man he'll face for the division crown, he can't help but secretly cheer for the same man that knocked him out of the UFC ranks five years ago.

As he explains to MMA Fighting, he would love nothing more than to get a rematch with the Brazilian bomber and avenge his devastating loss.

His words:

"I believe everybody sees this fight like I do. 'Cigano' has a great chance to knock him out in the first two rounds. After that, Velasquez's cardio is excellent for a heavyweight. Nothing against ‘Cigano', but I want this rematch. I thought I was the man at that time. I want to fight him again not because of him, but to prove to myself that I can beat him when I do things right."

Werdum revealed that UFC President Dana White did indeed give him the option to ride the pine until after the dust settles in "H-Town," or take another fight in the interim. It was a decision the former Strikeforce heavyweight didn't have to think twice about; opting to play the waiting game.

And while a do-over against his fellow countryman would be nice, Fabricio is more than prepared to take on the always-dangerous wrestler, should Velasquez retain his title.

Here's why:

"My game matches with Velasquez's. I won't be afraid to kick or punch him to avoid the takedowns because the ground game is my best weapon. I have a good guard and that's what happened with ‘Cigano' in their second fight. He didn't attack with his boxing because he didn't want to get taken down, so he didn't attack and didn't defend."

Werdum is the owner of a three-fight win streak with his latest victory coming against the former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, submitting "Big Nog" this past June in the second round at UFC on FUEL TV 10.

The impressive victory secured his long-desired title shot, the first of his 11-year mixed martial arts (MMA) career.

What say you Maniacs, can Werdum give "JDS" or Velasquez a run for their money in a five-round championship fight? Which match-up gives "Vai Cavalo" the better chance at victory?