Rothwell suggests Velasquez will fight differently once new PED testing is implemented

Junior dos Santos is the only threat to Cain Velasquez's heavyweight throne, according to American Kickboxing Academy trainer Javier Mendez.

Ben Rothwell respectfully disagrees.

The burly heavyweight used his bear-like strength to choke the living daylights out of Matt Mitrione at UFC Night Night 68 last week, upping his winning streak to three, all of which came via violent stoppage.

"Javier Mendez says JDS is the only threat to Cain," Rothwell told The MMA Hour, according to MMAFighting.com's Dave Doyle. "That's a joke in itself. I'm not pissed off. I laugh. It's funny. It's whatever. That's wishful thinking. He's hoping that things don't change. Is the guy tough?"

What could change, according to Rothwell, is the heavyweight landscape once the UFC implements the new year-round drug testing policy.

"Let's see what happens after July 1, when the advance testing starts kicking in," Rothwell said. "Let's see if (Velasquez is) still fighting the same way he has. I doubt it. I'm not implying anything, what I'm just saying, I don't believe every division is going to look the same after July 1st. If anyone takes offense to that, maybe they ought to look at themselves and look at their problems."

On the surface, it's a risky implication for Rothwell to make considering he tested positive for elevated testosterone levels following his TKO victory over Brandon Vera at UFC 164 in 2013. Rothwell, though, was medically cleared to use testosterone replacement therapy at the time, and stopped using once it was banned by the Nevada Athletic Commission and the UFC.

"People say, 'Ben Rothwell, you did this and that,' whatever," he said. "2012, mine was a prescription, the UFC knew about it, and it was what it was. I don't regret anything, I had to go through that. Now that I went through that I get scrutinized 10 times as much as everyone else. I know where I'm at."