Werdum Undergoes Elbow Surgery, Predicts Early 2011 Return

Strikeforce upset king Fabricio Werdum underwent successful arthroscopic surgery for his left elbow on Aug. 18 in Los Angeles, and is eyeing his return to the promotion in early 2011.

The surgery, performed by Dr. Neal S. Elattrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic, removed 27 loose bone fragments from Werdum’s elbow.

Werdum, a world-decorated jiu-jitsu black belt, pulled off one of the bigger upsets of 2010, when he submitted Fedor Emelianenko with an armbar-triangle choke combination in a stunning 69 seconds at Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Werdum” on June 26 in San Jose, Calif. Werdum snapped the 33-year-old Russian fighting legend’s unparalleled 27-fight win streak amassed over nearly a decade.

Werdum’s manager, Richard Wilner, said the fighter is slated to jump back into the Strikeforce cage some time in the first quarter of 2011.

The 33-year-old Brazilian could face Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem next, while a rematch with Emelianenko also looms on the horizon.

“My elbow is feeling really good already and I’m in physical therapy now,” Werdum told Sherdog.com on Thursday. “I want to make sure I come back when I’m 100 percent.”