AP Images

UFC interim heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum is all confidence and determination heading into his UFC 188 clash in Mexico City against heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez.

While Werdum was once considered a one-dimensional submission specialist, times have changed, and he's recently established himself as one of the most technical and devastating strikers in the division. In his past two fights, Werdum has knocked out former K-1 World Grand Prix champion Mark Hunt and thoroughly outclassed the 6'7" Hawaiian Travis Browne.

Both men are known for their striking, and Werdum bested them at their own game.

This evolution is not lost on the interim champ. Werdum was cut from the UFC in 2008 after a knockout loss to former heavyweight king Junior dos Santos, and many felt he'd never develop the striking skills necessary to compete against the world's best.

That, however, has rapidly changed, and he looks forward to showcasing the next step along his journey to becoming a more complete fighter on June 13 when the lights go down in Mexico.

"Now it's a big difference. In 2008, I wasn't a 100 percent professional guy," Werdum told Bleacher Report. "Now, I'm 100 percent professional. I train every day. I've trained a lot for this moment. But in 2008, I wasn't serious with training. It's so different now."

With his win over Hunt in November at UFC 180, Werdum captured the UFC's interim heavyweight title, a championship awarded because Velasquez had been out of action for more than a year at that point. Now, Velasquez's inactivity is creeping up on two years, and Werdum believes he—not Velasquez—is the true heavyweight champ as a result.

"I think my belt is the real one because I fought a lot of guys for it," Werdum said. "Cain Velasquez hasn't fought in about two years. On June 13, I'll show who is the real champion. I want this match with Cain Velasquez. I want to shock the world again."

Adding another layer of intrigue to this UFC 188 tilt, Werdum was already scheduled to face Velasquez in Mexico City. His November matchup against Hunt was never supposed to happen. He was slated to fight Velasquez that night.

When UFC President Dana White called and said Velasquez was out, though, Werdum took the news in stride.

"When Dana White called me and said, 'You're not fighting Cain Velasquez now,' I didn't like that," Werdum said. "But I said, 'OK, Dana. You put another opponent in, and I'll be good. No problem.' I went in there, [and] I just did my job. I showed everyone when I knocked out Mark Hunt. Everybody was saying, 'Oh, maybe Werdum will submit him,' or 'Maybe Mark Hunt will knock him out,' but nobody saw that coming.

"This is my opinion: Cain Velasquez didn't fight Nov. 15 because he knew I was there [in Mexico] a long time and I was ready for that fight. I had a good rhythm with my career. He had an injury in the knee, but I think it was a strategy."

Regardless of Velasquez's motivations in November, all signs point toward their showdown going down without a hitch, and this is the fight that currently matters for both men and for the UFC heavyweight division as a whole.

The bout is just two weeks away, and Werdum is sharp and focused. No heavyweight to this point has had any success against Velasquez beyond Dos Santos landing one flush blow standing, but Werdum believes he can be the man to change that.

With his suddenly well-rounded arsenal, he thinks he can impose his will and pull off the unexpected at UFC 188.

"I'm not waiting for Cain Velasquez. I just go," Werdum said. "I'll try to knock him down or maybe submit him. The best one is that maybe I'll take him down. Guys don't believe that [I can do that]. But maybe I'll take down Cain Velasquez this time.

"I want to see what happens when I put Cain Velasquez's back on the ground. Let's see him with his back on the ground. Cain Velasquez is good when he's on the top, when he can control the rhythm. But I want to see him on the ground."

This daunting task—putting Velasquez on his back—isn't just a pipe dream for Werdum, either. He has a real strategy in place to accomplish this goal, and he looks forward to putting it into effect for UFC fans worldwide and to proving he is the undisputed ruler of the heavyweight division.

"I have a strategy for this moment. I have good cardio, I'm strong now, I lift weights, I have good training," Werdum said. "I'm ready for this. Everybody wants to see this fight—there are two belts, and I think my belt is the real one. Why would Dana White give me this belt? I'm there. It's not my fault when on Nov. 15, 2014, I'm there, but Cain Velasquez doesn't show up. I'm there, but he's not there.

"My belt is the real one. I'll show that on June 13 when I shock the world again."

Werdum acknowledges Velasquez's skills and accomplishments in the sport, but he also feels the champ's inactivity will haunt him in this matchup. He'll be a bit rusty, and even worse, he has the pressure of a nation on his shoulders as the "hometown favorite" of sorts.

Velasquez is proud of his Mexican heritage, and the Mexican fans will be behind him in full force. Werdum sees this as a pile of pressure Velasquez may not be ready to handle.

"I think he'll have a lot of pressure on his shoulders," Werdum said. "I don't have any pressure. He has it all. He's an American guy, but he has family from Mexico. He wanted to fight here. He has all the pressure."

For Werdum, the bout against Velasquez is more than a title fight—it's the experience of a lifetime. He's looking forward to putting on the best fight of the year—in all of combat sports—and he fully expects this fight to mark the best moment of his career.

"Yeah, I think for sure the best moment in my life—and I'm really looking forward to this feeling—will be beating Cain June 13," Werdum said. "You want to watch this fight because the guys say the biggest fight of the year was Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, but I think that's not the best fight of the year. The best fight of the year is coming up now on June 13.

"This is the best fight of the year."