Velasquez happy to fight Carwin vs. Dos Santos winner
“It sucks, but it happens in this sport,” Velasquez said. “People get hurt all the time and pull out of…
“It sucks, but it happens in this sport,” Velasquez said. “People get hurt all the time and pull out of fights. But he’ll come back, and he’ll come back stronger. It sucks right now, but we already have somebody tough coming up with Shane (replacing him).”
Velasquez, who is still recovering from right shoulder surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, has been out of action since he beat Lesnar at UFC 121 last October to win the heavyweight title. The Mexican-American, who trains at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., has never lost a round in his MMA career, finishing all but one of his opponents with first- or second-round knockouts or TKOs.
But though he is the current heavyweight kingpin, looking at the landscape in the division, Velasquez believes the UFC made the right move by picking Carwin to face dos Santos for what UFC president Dana White has maintained is still a No. 1 contender fight for Velasquez’s belt.
“I think (they made the right call), yeah,” Velasquez said. “He was next in line, for sure. He’s a tough guy. I think it was a good call.”