Fabricio Werdum’s coach says fighter is “ready for a big fight.”

Fabricio Werdum makes his return to the UFC this weekend when he squares off with Roy Nelson in a heavyweight match-up at UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit. Werdum, who lost his last fight inside the Octagon to current UFC heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos, also dropped his most recent bout, falling to Alistair Overeem via Decision in the Strikeforce Grand Prix Semifinals. In Nelson, Werdum will have a large man standing across from him on Saturday night.

However, Rafael Cordeiro, the coach for Werdum, feels like his student knows the importance of the Nelson fight and will be ready to engage when the two meet in Las Vegas.

“Werdum will explore his strongest weapon, which is jiu-jitsu. People will realize how badly he wants to be in the UFC,” said Cordeiro, in a recent interview with TATAME. “He’s a tough opponent; he has a whole history in there. He has fought many tough guys. (Werdum’s) ready for a big fight.”

This contest could go a long way in determining which road each of these men take, as Nelson is coming off a win over Mirko Filipovic that snapped a two-fight losing streak. Meanwhile, Werdum won three straight fights prior to his loss to Overeem including victories over Antonio Silva and Fedor Emelianenko.

Nelson-Werdum meet on the PPV portion of UFC 143, a show headlined by a interim title-bout between welterweights Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz. The main card starts at 10:00 PM EST with prelims taking place on Facebook/FX starting three hours earlier.

PHOTO CREDIT – AFFLICTION

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MMATraining Take: Both men know how to submit fighters, so it is safe to say each might try and keep the fight standing until the right moment to strike. With this being his return fight to the UFC, you can expect Werdum to want to put on a show; and Nelson is always looking to entertain.