Velasquez supports Cormier's return to heavyweight, wants in on UFC 226
Longtime teammates Cain Velasquez and Daniel Cormier are now chasing the same title, but their friendship hasn't suffered because of it, says the former.
Mere days after it was confirmed Cormier would be returning to heavyweight for a date with reigning champ Stipe Miocic at UFC 226, Velasquez said Monday on "The MMA Hour" he wholeheartedly seconds his friend's move despite Cormier's previous reservations about moving to a division Velasquez has called his purview on two separate occasions.
In fact, Velasquez - who remains intent on regaining the divisional crown - aims to return from what will mark a two-year layoff on the July bill so he and Cormier can endure the rigors of training camp together.
"We talked about it and I’m all for it, I support Daniel 100 percent," Velasquez said. "I feel like I just have to go back and prove myself. I have to get a fight and show people why everyone should fear me, so I have to go out there, I have to look impressive. I do plan on fighting again, I’ve never had talks of a retirement. Not yet. I still want to do this.
"He called me up, he told me that he had this opportunity. I was just like, 'Yes, we can do it.' We can get ready together, that’s the best for us. He’s fighting on that card in July, I’m going to try to get on that, hopefully. I think that would be perfect and enough time for me to get on that card and me and Daniel can train together and get ready together because when we do that, that’s when we are the best."
Shortly after the champion vs. champion bout was made official, Velasquez issued a tweet that had many wondering whether he'd be willing to face his friend and American Kickboxing Academy cohort in a championship bout. However, he told Ariel Helwani on Monday he'd never share the Octagon with Cormier.
"Would I ever fight (Cormier)? No, I wouldn’t," Velasquez said. "I wouldn’t fight him. I think he feels the same way. We’re teammates, we’re friends, we’ve done a lot with each other. I think it would be easy, me and him, just because we spar so much, s---, it would just be another day at the office."
Velasquez, 35, has been out of action since July 2016 when he dispatched Travis Browne inside of a round at UFC 200. He went under the knife to correct lingering back issues at the top of 2017.
UFC 226 is set for July 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
- With h/t to MMA Fighting