Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has signed with the World Battle League.
The brand new team-based fight league was unveiled late final yr. Based by Darren Owen, the World Battle League could have a number of groups based mostly across the globe. Expertise connected to the group consists of names comparable to Tyron Woodley, Luke Rockhold, Wanderlei Silva, and Anthony Pettis.
Earlier at this time, the GFL issued a press launch detailing a number of new signings. There, they introduced a handful of ex-UFC stars had joined the model, together with Paige VanZant and Cynthia Calvillo. Former Bellator girls’s featherweight champion Julia Budd signed with the corporate, as did former Invicta titleholder Tonya Evinger.
Nonetheless, the press launch additionally introduced the signing of ex-UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez as a head coach. The 42-year-old hasn’t competed since a first-round knockout loss to Francis Ngannou in early 2019. Afterward, the wrestler introduced plans to retire from MMA and pursue a profession in skilled wrestling.
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Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez indicators with World Battle League
Cain Velasquez will assist draft, and coach one of many GFL’s new groups. In line with the press launch, the previous UFC champion has already enlisted the assistance of American Kickboxing Academy’s Javier Mendez. For what it’s value, Velasquez is already an up-and-coming coach in his personal proper. Mendez revealed in 2023 that the previous UFC champion is working with younger expertise at AKA.
“Cain Velasquez will likely be in some fighters’ corners that he’s with,” Javier Mendez said within the video. “He’s a pleasure to have, he’s an unbelievable coach. I’m blessed to have him there at AKA every day with the fellows. He’s an enormous motivator, he’s turning into nice at talking, speeches. He’s turning into nice at speaking to the fighters, and the ins and the outs. The best way to assume, methods to be a champion, he’s improbable. I couldn’t ask for a greater coach and buddy than Cain.”
Since then, the 42-year-old has been seen in a number of corners at UFC and Bellator occasions. Nonetheless, he’ll have much more work to do when the World Battle League season begins in April.
What do you make of this World Battle League information? Are you excited to see the return of Cain Velasquez in a training function?