I expect this fight to be the antithesis of what we saw between Vera and Sylvia. My concern for that prediction would be if Vera breaks his hand again, but that seems as likely to happen as it is unlikely. Of course, Werdum simply does not have the size of Sylvia, which I believe will allow Vera to better utilize his Greco-Roman game, which he managed to do (if only briefly) against Sylvia.

I do have some minor reservations about the stand up matchup. I do feel that Vera has the clear advantage on the feet, but I felt the same way about Gonzaga against Werdum. I have really not seen enough of Gonzaga to know how his striking abilities compare to Vera's, so it may not be the best comparison, but it does seem to me that Werdum has improved his striking. That doesn't mean I think he's better than Vera, no, but as in any fight, either guy could get caught. Had Werdum not just scored a TKO, the thought probably would not have even crossed my mind, but it's not my mind that we have to worry about in this fight, and Vera is nothing if not confident in his abilities.

I'm stating the obvious when I say that Werdum has the advantage on the ground, but only so I can also say that since Vera is a Lloyd Irvin guy, he will certainly be able to stay out of trouble if things go to the ground (barring getting clipped on the feet, that sort of thing).

As you can see, I am just about in full agreement with you. When the match was first announced, it seemed like a great opponent for Vera and it was clear to me that they want him to have another chance to get in the title picture. Those sentiments largely remain, even if I am being somewhat more pessimistic at this point.

Oh, and I can't watch the video here, but did Gonzaga end up helping Vera train, or is he still scheduled to? That could be very advantageous.