UFC 188 results recap: What's next fight for Fabricio Werdum?

Fabricio Werdum is your undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight kingpin.

Let that settle in your mind for a moment.

Just about seven years ago, the Brazilian's UFC run was halted by a ferocious uppercut courtesy of future heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos at UFC 90. "Vai Cavalo" had almost no opportunity to get off any offense during the 80 second onslaught, and soon found himself cut from UFC's roster and fighting in Strikeforce.

After becoming the first man to submit Fedor Emelianenko, Werdum took on the always dangerous Alistair Overeem in one of the few remaining Strikeforce events in the quarterfinals of the heavyweight grand prix.

In a relatively banal fight, Overeem took the unanimous decision victory over Werdum.

The consensus at the time was the winner of the tournament would move on to face the UFC heavyweight champion, and many believed it would be either Werdum or Overeem to get that shot.

Ultimately, that never came to fruition, and seven years later, Werdum finds himself as the UFC champ, while Overeem sits idly by hoping for the next crack at UFC gold.

At 37 years old, the Brazilian took on one of the most menacing figures in MMA history in Cain Velasquez in the main event of the UFC 188 pay-per-view this past Saturday night (June 13, 2015) in Mexico City, and "Vai Cavalo" proved he was the best heavyweight in the world with a stunning performance at altitude.

Velasquez's legendary gas tank was worn down by Werdum, and after battering the champ in the second round, the Brazilian locked in a deep guillotine choke to secure the title in the third.

Catch all the highlights here.

With a new champion sitting atop the heavyweight throne, the entire division has been turned on its head.

The biggest winner of them all following the mayhem in Mexico City was none other than "JDS." The former UFC heavyweight champion was once the only man to have defeated Velasquez, but after getting absolutely dominated in their following two fights, it was unlikely UFC brass would give him a fourth crack at Cain had he won in Mexico.

With "Vai Cavalo" the undisputed champion, and Dos Santos sitting at No. 2 in the heavyweight rankings (see them here), I would be utterly shocked if fans weren't granted the all Brazilian rematch for the title later this year.

Of course, we can not totally rule out Andrei Arlovski, Stipe Miocic, Ben Rothwell, or Alistair Overeem either, but I suspect those men to duke it out amongst themselves in order to deem the next challenger once Dos Santos and Werdum settle their score.

Not to mention, one of the aforementioned fighters is going to have to fight Velasquez, and the title won't be on the line.

Ouch.

While the "Greatest of all Time" tag is certainly thrown around loosely these days in MMA, it is hard to deny that "Vai Cavalo" is among the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport.

Submission victories over Minotauro Nogueira, Fedor Emelianenko, and Cain Velasquez is nothing to scoff at, and with the potential to avenge his loss to another legendary heavyweight in Junior Dos Santos, Werdum may very well end his career as the GOAT when it is all said and done.

Absolutely masterful.

For complete results from UFC 188: "Velasquez vs. Werdum," including play-by-play updates, click here.