Cain Velasquez doesn’t believe Francis Ngannou’s uppercut is what caused him to hit the canvas at UFC on ESPN 1.
Last night (Feb. 17), Velasquez made his return to the Octagon in his home state of Arizona. The former two-time UFC heavyweight king hadn’t competed since July 2016. His return lasted just 26 seconds as Ngannou was able to earn the quick finish. While replays showed Ngannou connected with an uppercut on the inside, Velasquez said he felt a pop in his knee and he feels that was the culprit of his loss.
Cain Velasquez Still Has ‘Fire’
Speaking to reporters during the post-fight press conference, Velasquez called his loss a “freak accident” (via MMAJunkie.com):
“He didn’t even, like, touch me. It was just the knee. As soon as I felt the knee buckle, it was like I couldn’t believe that happened, and that was it. The ref saw my knee buckle. His job is to make sure we’re 100 percent safe, and he did that. The ref did the correct job tonight. Knowing what I did the past three years and two months getting ready for this camp, I felt ready. The octagon was the place I needed to be, and I felt great coming back. I felt great in there with him, and again, the freak accident of the knee popping out, it’s frustrating. We’ll get it all checked out. The fire’s strong in me again still. I guess I’ve got a lot to prove, and I’m very capable of doing that.”
This is just the third loss in Velasquez’s professional mixed martial arts career. As for Ngannou, he now has two first-round finishes since his losses to Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis. “The Predator” is now calling for a shot at Daniel Cormier’s UFC heavyweight title.
Do you think Cain Velasquez’s loss was due to the knee popping, or the uppercut from Francis Ngannou?
