Velasquez: Way I train responsible for injuries
Cain Velasquez: “I guess my head is pretty strong and I can push through pain, but it’s bad because it’s definitely messed up my body at times.”
UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has undergone seven major surgeries in his lifetime for injuries. That, coupled with taping the Ultimate Fighter, and Velasquez has only fought seven times in the last four years. Is the champion injury prone or has it just been bad luck?
ESPN: You’ve been through this before — having to sit out for a year due to injury. What was the process like this time around?
Velasquez: I think it was less difficult this time because I had been through it before and I knew what to expect. There are plusses and minuses. One plus was that I got to be at home a little more. The minus, obviously, is I didn’t get to do the sport I love. I tried to keep positive and not push it too hard.
ESPN: All sports have athletes who, for one reason or another, can’t stay healthy. Are we there with you, yet? Do you think that’s fair or have you just been unlucky?
Velasquez: I really think it has to do with the way I train. If I’m hurt a little, I’m still going to train. I guess my head is pretty strong and I can push through pain, but it’s bad because it’s definitely messed up my body at times.