Cain Velasquez says a return to MMA would require a payday no one is willing to offer, and made clear he has no interest in competing or coaching again.
Velasquez appeared at the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano ceremonial weigh-ins two weeks ago to oversee the heavyweight faceoffs, leading some to speculate about a potential comeback. He quickly dismissed that idea on the Weighing In podcast with Josh Thomson.
“The money has to make me want to do it because, I’ve said this before, I don’t want to do it. I have other interests now. But the money really has to make me want to do it, and I don’t think anybody is willing to pay that.”
At 43 and having not competed since 2019, Velasquez was honest about what a return would realistically look like.
“I mean, I can always fight again, but to what degree is something different, as well. Of course, we could always do it. But to what degree are you doing it at?”
He also ruled out a coaching path back into the sport despite spending time at American Kickboxing Academy helping younger fighters.
“In that way, I don’t. It doesn’t interest me anymore. I get so into what I’m doing that, whatever you want to call it, it doesn’t do it for me anymore.”
Velasquez’s last fight came in February 2019 when Francis Ngannou knocked him out in 26 seconds. He paroled in February after a 10-month prison term following a no contest plea to an attempted murder charge on a man accused of molesting his son.