UFC 180: Fabricio Werdum doesn't expect Mark Hunt to be an easier fight than Cain Velasquez

Utimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight titleholder Cain Velasquez suffered an unfortunate knee injury in training which forced him to bow out of his title fight against Fabricio Werdum, which was set to go down at UFC 180 on Nov. 15, 2014 in Mexico City, Mexico.

Full details here.

While the setback is unfortunate for Cain, who hasn't seen the inside of the Octagon since October of 2014, due to a recent shoulder injury, the situation also effects Werdum, the other half of the main event bout.

Sure, he still gets to fight on the card for the interim title, but he'll be doing it against an entirely different opponent as he takes on last-minute replacement, Mark Hunt. That means "Vai Cavalo" will likely have to revamp his gameplan when he heads south of the border, as Cain is known for utilizing his wrestling pedigree while Hunt prefers to stand-and-bang.

Furthermore, just because Hunt isn't the 265-pound champ, doesn't mean the fight will be easier for Werdum.

He said as much during a recent interview with MMA Fighting:

"I watch Mark Hunt fight for a long time, since his K-1 days. He's a nice guy. He tries to knock you out all the time. That's his style. He doesn't have a great ground game, but he's good defensively. I will have to change my strategy, but I will stay focused on winning that title on Nov. 15. I know it's not an easy fight. Mark Hunt has a huge knockout power, but I will do my best to avoid that. I envision this fight like my fight with Roy Nelson. I will do the right thing to win the title. He's a heavy guy and has a great chin. I have to be careful. I can't say he's an easier opponent than Cain Velasquez. There's no easy fight in the UFC. Anyone can beat you. Everybody knows Mark Hunt's punching power. I think my only advantage in this fight is that I'm training for a long time for it."

While it may not be an easier fight than Velasquez, Werdum will have a clear advantage on the ground against Hunt than he would've had against Cain.

That's because of Hunt's eight losses in mixed martial arts (MMA), six of them have come by way of submission. And despite Werdum's improved striking (see it), the Brazilian's specialty still lies in the ground game. But, Werdum first has to get him to the mat to utilize his jiu-jitsu skills, all while avoiding Hunt's heavy haymakers.

Like this one.

Oh, and "Super Samoan" has to make weight, too.