Velasquez Returns to the Ring in UFC 188 this June
It wasn’t that long ago that UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez had to pull out of the championship fight late last year after suffering a knee injury while training. However, the champ will have a shot to reclaim the title as he will b fighting in UFC 188 against Fabricio Werdum on June 13 in Mexico City.
A knee injury isn’t the only issue Velasquez has had to tackle since his unfortunate withdrawal. Nearly six months of recovery from a torn meniscus and sprained MCL, and he’s ready to get back in the ring. Velasquez is currently ranked No. 1 in the MMA heavyweight rankings.
Since 2013, Velasquez has only fought twice in the ring due to injuries that were no doubt exacerbated from rigorous training. The American Kickboxing Academy may criticize his methods, but he’s managed to stay at the top. Velasquez spoke with MMAjunkie during a recent media day at AKA in San Jose, Calif., defending the harsh workouts. “I feel like it gets me ready for fights. I feel like it’s the best way to get ready for fights. I feel like I’m most prepared when I actually fight for a fight.”
However, even the former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler can understand that sometimes health and career longevity are more important than the immediate future. With his injuries continuing to pile up, his pre-fight regime has had to have a few tweaks.
“More so (it’s) just listening to my body—little tweaks here and there,” said Velasquez. “I would say in those situations, it’s better to do less, to take off a little bit and then just come back strong rather than just beat the body down more and more and just breaking it down.”
Velasquez will make is return for the long-rumored heavyweight title unification bout in UFC 188 in Mexico City this June. While he may be steadily recovering, we will have to wait until the fight to see if he can properly defend his title.
Source: MMAjunkie
