Cain Velasquez is open to MMA return, but only for the right price
In a recent interview on the WEIGHING IN podcast, Cain Velasquez opened up about a possible return to fighting, but only if certain financial demands are met.
Cain Velasquez had a recent sitdown with fellow American Kickboxing Academy member Josh Thomson on the latter's WEIGHING IN podcast. During the pair's conversation, Velasquez spoke about fighting again, which he's somewhat open to, so long as he's well-compensated, despite being out of the MMA game for nearly a decade.
Cain Velasquez won't rule out fighting
Not since a 2019 sub-minute knockout loss to the monstrous Francis Ngannou at UFC on ESPN 1 has Cain Velasquez been seen inside the octagon. He is now 43 years old, and hasn't fought, in any capacity, in seven years. However, he hasn't completely ruled out MMA, so when longtime training partner and fellow ex-fighter Josh Thomson asked him if he had a wishlist of fighters he'd love to face, Velasquez focused more on the check a promotion could write him (19:08)
"No wishlist, as far as a person , but if the money's right, the money's right, but it has to be really good. It has to be really damn good for me to do that."
When Thomson continued to bring up a wishlist of opponents, even highlighting all-time great heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Velasquez affirmed his lack of desire to face a specific opponent, and that only a large enough purse would draw him back into MMA.
"The money has to make me want to do it, because I don't... as I've told this before, I've said this before, it's not... I don't want to do it. You know, I have other interests now, but the money really has to make want to do it, and I don't think anyone's willing to pay that."
Velasquez seems comfortable with retired life after his recent prison stint, and his priorities have shifted from combat sports, having previously competed as a pro-wrestler after leaving MMA. He was also once hailed as a potential candidate for the greatest heavyweight of all time due to his well-rounded skillset and prior dominance inside the octagon as the UFC heavyweight champion. He famously faced Junior dos Santos in a trilogy, which began with 'JDS' knocking him out in round one at UFC on Fox 1 to dethrone him as champion.
However, Velasquez followed that up by beating him in a lopsided unanimous decision win at UFC 155 to regain the belt, and a rubber match at UFC 166, where he defended it in another dominant display, TKO'ing dos Santos in round five.
