There’s been a decent amount of controversy surrounding the last WNO attempt. What was to be an exciting event to settle the score between two rivals ended up being mostly interesting due to the greasing controversy that continued at the event.
This didn’t sit well with a lot of people who have been calling out Ryan to fulfil his obligation and meet Pena for the 4th time. Previously Pena submitted Ryan in their first clash, won on points the second time and verbally submitted the third time following 30 minute stand still.
Now UFC legend Fabricio Werdum reacted to the development and provided his take on the controversy in an interview with Canal Encarnada:
“I thought it was a joke from FloGrappling, who organized everything. I thought they were 100% for Gordon Ryan, Flograppling. I don’t like them for that, they wore the shirt and ended up presenting Gordon Ryan as the American of the time. ”
Werdum went on to clarify he doesn’t think badly of Ryan: “He is the best in the world. He is very good, there is nothing to say about him. What he did at ADCC, I was impressed. ”
“It was impressive, no one had ever done that” – Werdum concluded observing that Ryan was special for having competed in both divisions and the special event against Galvao.
But Werdum went on to cast a shadow over Ryan’s pull out:
“In my point of view, he saw Pena excited, training with Galvão. He was very excited, training a lot… He took a bucket of cold water and said, ‘Pena, no thanks’. He played very well, he was very strategic. Stomachache, nothing, he was going out at night, went to eat with his friends”
“He will stop grappling because of stomachache, it doesn’t exist. He was always very well prepared, but it was 100% strategy. ”
Werdum went to criticize Flograppling for playing a highlight of Leandro Lo prior to the third match between Ryan and Pena. Leandro Lo was a close friend of Pena’s and his tragic passing should’ve led to the event getting cancelled. Ultimately, going through with the event and the controversy that surrounded it led to the demise of longtime editor Hywel Teague. Teague was sacked after Gordon Ryan had complained about how he was portrayed in one of Teague’s segments.
Werdum explained:
“Flograppling drives me… Look at the bad guys. The guys played a highlight of Leandro Lo before, both on the mat, the guys put a highlight of his best friend live, for everyone to see, before the match. I’m waiting for the match. I’m warming up here, Pena warming up, the screen came out of one of my best friends, assassinated seeing him a minute before my main event.”
“Do it later, when the match is over, We can’t pay tribute to Leandro Lo after. No, pure strategy. Let’s do it before and let’s break him, there’s no way not to, the feelings when his best friend was assassinated. The guy will stop and leave crying. I thought it was a joke, Flograppling”
“They went in the strategy, everything was planned, we know it was but nobody talks about it. Or nobody realized it, but put a video of your best friend before the match, it doesn’t exist.”
