UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum won the first-ever UFC Ultimate Cookoff culinary competition at Lagasse’s Stadium at The Palazzo Las Vegas on Thursday, July 9.
The UFC Ultimate Cookoff: Fighter and Food showdown was part of UFC International Fight Week. Participating fighters included UFC welterweight Johny Hendricks, UFC middleweight CM Punk, UFC heavyweight Fabricio Werdum and UFC middleweight Luke Rockhold.
The evening consisted of three, 30-minute rounds where the athletes were given a mystery basket of ingredients and had to create a dish within the select amount of time in front of a live audience. Each dish was then tasted by a panel of judges including celebrity chef, TV personality and author Curtis Stone, UFC Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Epstein and The Venetian and The Palazzo Vice President of Food & Beverage Sebastien Silvestri.
Round one featured Johny Hendricks vs.Luke Rockhold with Johny Hendricks winning. Round two featured Fabricio Werdum vs. CM Punk with Fabricio Werdum winning. The final round featured Johny Hendricks vs Fabricio Werdum with Fabricio Werdum winning.
“I like to win, I win all the time and I like that the fans like that too,” said Fabricio Werdum, “I cook sometimes but not a lot.”
“I walked in here tonight thinking there is no way these guys knew their way around a stove, but they are as fierce in the kitchen as they are in the octagon,” said Curtis Stone. “They have a gentle hand for guys who could crush a skull with one gentle touch, and it’s beautiful to watch.”
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