Cain Velasquez Fires Back At Werdum: He’s Not The Real Champ

Finally set to end an almost 18-month absence that’s seemed like forever, UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has a lot of frustrations to get out against interim champion Fabricio Werdum in the main event of Saturday night’s (June 13, 2015) UFC 188 from Mexico City, Mexico.

Velasquez was initially sent to the sidelines with shoulder surgery following his second five round domination of archrival Junior dos Santos in the main event of October 2013’s UFC 166, and he unfortunately had no choice but to endure another seven-month stay on the sidelines due to a knee injury suffered in training that left him no choice but to withdraw from his originally scheduled UFC 180 showdown versus Werdum in the promotion’s debut on Mexican Soil.

Werdum went on to defeat short notice title contender Mark Hunt with a vicious flying knee in the second round at the event, earning him the interim belt and the confidence to spout off at the mouth by claiming that Velasquez was not the real champ because he is constantly injured.

But during a recent interview with MMAMania.com, Velasquez fired his counterattack at Werdum’s previous trash talk, noting that he is obviously still the real champ because the UFC decided to only give ‘Vai Cavalo’s’ belt a temporary tag. All speculation aside, however, Velasquez is simply ready to prove who’s the best in the Octagon this weekend:

“UFC didn’t give him the real belt because they didn’t think he was the champ, so, I mean, he’s not… There’s a title that comes with that: ‘interim champion,’ it’s not the real one,” Velasquez said. “With all of that, just set it aside and on the 13th we are going to settle it and that is what I’m excited about.”

He may firmly believes that Werdum’s suggestions are simply untrue, yet despite his feelings about his opponent’s pre-fight buildup, he’s noticed that, after wins over noted strikers Hunt and Travis Browne, his striking has improved greatly under Rafael Cordeiro at Kings MMA:

“He is definitely good everywhere,” said Velasquez. “He has improved. He throws a lot of kicks. He throws a lot of funky stuff also: he’ll throw a lot of knees, spinning back kicks, spinning back fists. It’s definitely a tough matchup.”

In addition to his praise for ‘Vai Cavalo,’ Velasquez still conveyed that he wasn’t scared of Werdum’s world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills on the ground. The champ noted that the illustrious grappling champion was actually losing to Hunt, who was just demolished by Stipe Miocic, until the emphatic flying knee at UFC 180:

“I’m not concerned, but definitely something we have to be aware of and be ready for,” Velasquez said. “”Just watching the fight between him and Mark Hunt, Hunt was in his guard and wasn’t in any trouble at all. Mark Hunt won the whole fight except for that last knee at the end. So, again, he is a guy that is always dangerous. We’re not afraid of anywhere that we fight him, but we have to be conscious of it and just be ready.”

Overall, Velasquez said his strategy should be no secret. The dominant champ wants to come back and employ his trademark pressuring style to use his cardio and overwhelm Werdum with his nonstop stand-up skills:

“Our game plan is no secret, we want to go forward and put a lot of pressure on him, overwhelm him with punches and kicks,” he said. “That’s what we’ve done in past fights and that is what we are going to do with this one.”