Cain Velasquez plans to prepare to the best of his abilities for a dangerous Francis Ngannou.
On Feb. 17, Velasquez will meet Ngannou on the first UFC on ESPN event. For those confused, this will not be an ESPN+ event. The card will be taking place on the major ESPN network. Talking Stick Resort Arena will play host to UFC on ESPN 1 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Cain Velasquez Preparing For A Formidable Foe
Velasquez recently spoke to MMAJunkie.com. During the interview, the heavyweight said that Ngannou poses a threat and he isn’t being taken lightly:
“The game is to improve. I’m always looking to improve. I’ve been in the game for a while, but there’s always room for improvement. You’re just never satisfied – well, at least I’m not. I have the fight against Ngannou, I’ve got to go out there, and he presents a lot of dangers, so there’s a lot of things I have to be really tight on my game when I go out there and fight. I’m ready for that.”
The American Kickboxing Academy stalwart also touched on his long layoff:
“I’ve had some injuries throughout my career; I got that all squared away and all healed up, and I extended my family, as well. We have a 1-year-old boy. I wanted to be there for the whole pregnancy, for the whole first year. It was kind of hard when we had our daughter. … There was a lot of stuff that I missed that I didn’t like missing. So with the time off, I just got to be with my family. There isn’t a lot of people who can take time off for two years, but I had that luxury, and I wanted to be there for my family, which to me was most important. I’m glad I did it. I love just having the time to be there for them.”
Velasquez hasn’t fought since July 2016. He defeated Travis Browne via first-round TKO. Since that time, injuries have plagued Velasquez. The former two-time UFC heavyweight champion was scheduled to meet Fabricio Werdum at UFC 207, but a back issue forced him off the card. Velasquez has been plagued by injuries throughout his career and many are wondering how he’ll look in his return.
Do you think Cain Velasquez will impose his will on Francis Ngannou, or will Ngannou score another highlight reel finish?
