UFC signs Werdum away from Pride

UFC president Dana White said Friday that Fabricio Werdum is the latest fighter to defect from the Pride Fighting Championships.

White, who is in the United Kingdom in order to promote UFC 70 at the MEN Arena in Manchester on April 21, said at the press conference that Werdum’s first fight under the UFC banner will take place against former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.

Werdum, a native of Brazil, has a lifetime mixed martial arts record of 9-2-1. He is a black belt in jiu-jitsu and trains current UFC heavyweight Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

White also announced that Filipovic will headline the card against Gabriel Gonzaga with UK native Michael Bisping vs. Elvis Sinosic and Forrest Griffin vs. Ryoto Machida also scheduled.

The winner of the Filipovic vs. Gonzaga bout will receive a shot at the UFC heavyweight title, according to White.