Former UFC heavyweight Cain Velasquez revealed the one way that he would return to mixed martial arts in a new interview.
The 43-year-old Velasquez has not competed in MMA since he suffered a TKO loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC on ESPN 1 in February 2019. Following that loss, he announced his retirement from the sport.
He then went into the world of professional wrestling for several years. However, he landed in legal trouble after a controversial attempted murder charge in 2022, being sentenced to five years in prison for it. With credit for time served and good behavior, he was released from prison earlier this year.
After many years away from the spotlight, Velasquez returned to the mixed martial arts world when he was seen during the recent MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano broadcast. That got fans thinking: would Velasquez fight again?
Cain Velasquez Speaks on Potential Return to MMA
In an interview with longtime AKA teammate Josh Thomson on the “Weighing In” podcast, Velasquez was asked if he would ever fight again. The former UFC heavyweight champion then revealed the only way he would come back, and if he did, who he would want to fight.
“No wish list as far as person, but if the money’s right, and the money has to be really good, it has to be really damn good, to do that (return to MMA),” Velasquez said.
“If the money is right, it has to be right, and it has to be really good. It has to be really damn good for me to do that fighting”
Via @WeighingIn
Who Could Cain Velasquez Fight if He Fought Again?
If Velasquez did fight again, you would think it would be for MVP MMA, since he already has a good rapport with the promotion after recently being a guest fighter during their first event. Plus, they pay well, which would be the one way Velasquez would even consider a potential comeback.
If he does fight for MVP MMA, then there are several different potential opponents for Velasquez in the heavyweight division, the most obvious being a rematch against Ngannou, the last man to defeat Velasquez in MMA. Ngannou just knocked out Philipe Lins at the first MVP MMA card, so a rematch between him and Velasquez seems possible, though it might be a bit too much to chew after seven years away from the sport.
Of course, Velasquez could also fight Lins, who said he wants to compete for the promotion again after having a good experience in the lead-up to the Ngannou fight. That seems like a fairer fight if it happened.
Two other former UFC fighters just fought on the first MVP MMA card: Robelis Despaigne and Junior dos Santos. Despaigne has been on a roll in Karate Combat and in MMA the last few years, and he would be an intriguing opponent for Velasquez, since he has poor takedown defense, and Velasquez is an elite wrestler.
But a quadrilogy with longtime rival dos Santos also seems very possible. These two fought three times in the UFC, with Velasquez winning the series 2-1. After dos Santos just got knocked out by Despaigne at MVP MMA, he could potentially be the right opponent for Velasquez in his comeback fight.
After Gina Carano came out of a 17-year layoff and Ronda Rousey came back after 10 years, don’t completely discount the thought of Velasquez coming back after seven years away.
Cain Velasquez Reveals The One Way He Would Return to MMA