Cain Velasquez enjoyed being back around the MMA scene with MVP, but the former UFC heavyweight champion said any comeback fight would need major money.
Velasquez discussed his recent MVP appearance on Weighing In with Josh Thomson, including his role around fight-week faceoffs and the question of whether he would ever fight again. Velasquez, a two-time UFC heavyweight champion who retired from MMA in 2019, said being back around fighters felt good because of the people attached to the sport.
Watch the full conversation below:
Asked how it felt to be at MVP and involved with the faceoffs, Velasquez said the experience was positive.
“It yeah, it was. It was great,” Velasquez said. “Dude, for me it’s just like the people that I meet along the way, you know, and the people that I got to see again that I’ve known for a little bit. And that’s just a blessing. The people that you run into and all of a sudden, you guys start talking or whatever, but just the love that we’re all sharing with each other, man. Yeah, it was great.”
Velasquez said his connection with MVP came through conversations about working together and helping each other promote separate projects.
“We just started talking, man,” Velasquez said. “Seeing how we can maybe work with each other, you know, or something, just kind of help each other. I’m helping them promote their stuff and they’re helping me promote my stuff as well.”
Cain Velasquez Says MVP Gives Fighters Another Place To Make A Living
Velasquez also praised Jake Paul’s motivation behind MVP’s move into MMA. Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions has pushed into the MMA space, and Velasquez framed that as another option for fighters rather than a UFC copy.
“I think Jake Paul has his heart’s in the right place, you know, do something good for fighters in general,” Velasquez said. “Give them another place where they can live out their dreams as well.”
Velasquez said multiple MMA platforms are good for the sport because fighters are not locked into one possible stage.
“It’s just like two brands, you know, giving you the same thing in a different package’s way,” Velasquez said. “The fights, the matchups is what makes it interesting. But again, it’s packaged in a totally different way and it’s great for the sport in general. There’s more places to do things at, more places for fighters to go and make a living. They don’t just have to go to the one show. There’s multiple shows.”
Thomson also asked Velasquez about standing across from Junior dos Santos during MVP duties. Dos Santos, a former UFC heavyweight champion, fought Velasquez three times in the UFC. Velasquez said seeing “Cigano” still compete gave him respect, not the immediate urge to jump back in.
“I can always do it, but to what to what degree, that is something different as well,” Velasquez said. “We can always do it, but it’s like, to what degree are you doing it at?”
Velasquez said the bigger takeaway was admiration for dos Santos still wanting to compete.
“The bigger picture or the thing that I took from it was a lot of respect for Junior that he still loves to do that,” Velasquez said. “I always had respect for him, but just a lot of heart for him to want to keep doing that.”
Velasquez said he was mostly observing the event and the organization around it.
“I feel like a kid in a candy store,” Velasquez said. “I’m just watching it all. I’m just observing, right? And doing my part as well. But I am observing what this organization is doing. I’m just kind of seeing it unfold as it’s happening.”
The comeback question came next. Velasquez did not give Thomson a name, but he gave him the condition.
“If the money was right,” Velasquez said. “I mean, if the money was right.”
When Thomson asked for a wish list of potential opponents, Velasquez said he did not have one.
“No. No wish list as far as person,” Velasquez said. “But if the money’s right, and the money’s right, but it has to be really good. It has to be really damn good for me to do that.”
Thomson then floated Fedor Emelianenko, the former PRIDE heavyweight champion and one of MMA’s most famous heavyweights. Velasquez did not focus on the matchup. He focused on the price.
“The money has to make me want to do it,” Velasquez said. “As I’ve told this before, I said this before, it’s not, I don’t want to do it, you know, I have other interests now.”
Velasquez repeated that the offer would have to be strong enough to pull him away from those interests.
“The money really has to make me want to do it,” Velasquez said. “And I don’t think anybody’s willing to pay that.”
Velasquez left the comeback terms at money and motivation. Without both, he said his focus is on other interests outside fighting.
