Cain Velasquez’s Coach Says The Former Heavyweight Champ May Return To MMA
Cain Velasquez could make a return to MMA according to his long-time coach Javier Mendez, who says the former UFC champion still has what it takes to compete.
Velasquez hasn’t fought since suffering a KO defeat against Francis Ngannou in 2019. The 26-second fight was the first time Velasquez had fought in three years.
Since then, the 39-year-old has transitioned to professional wrestling. Velasquez spent six months with the WWE before joining Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, which he is still part of to this day.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, AKA Head Coach, Mendez, revealed that Velasquez returning to the sport that made him famous is possible.
“He’s got it if he wants it,” Mendez said in Spanish. “He’s got it. But I don’t know if he wants to come back. I don’t speak with him about those things. But it’s possible. If someone says, ‘Hey, here’s $2 million, let’s go fight,’ he might say, ‘Eh give me $4 (million) and I’ll do it.’”
Javier Mendez Believes Cain Velasquez Has Something Left To Give
Mendez believes Valesquez has more left to give than another one of his students, Daniel Cormier, who recently retired from the sport after suffering back-to-back defeats to Stipe Miocic.
“He does have more (in the tank) than what Daniel had,” Mendez said. “He’s not the same. Cain is not the same as when he was younger, but he does have more left than Daniel. He is younger – he’s not in his 40s. Remember, Daniel was 42 and he had a back surgery, and after the surgery DC wasn’t the same. The years caught up to him. All the wear and tear and everything came to an end with him. In his mind, he was always a champion. With Daniel, his mind was always stronger than his body.”
“I don’t know, but who knows – money talks most of the time,” Mendez added about the fighting future of Velasquez. “If the money is good and the UFC lets him, it’s possible that he may do it.
“But look, he’d have to fight in the UFC because even if you retire, you’re with the UFC. The UFC needs to give you permission, and if they don’t, you can’t do anything. He is doing pro wrestling, but that’s different. You can’t box, you can’t fight. If he wants to fight, the UFC needs to give him permission.”
Do you want to see Cain Velasquez make a comeback?
