LAS VEGAS – Cain Velasquez is officially a member of WWE.
At a press conference held at T-Mobile Arena on Friday, Velasquez joined fellow former UFC heavyweight champion and now WWE champ Brock Lesnar, WWE superstar Braun Strowman, and heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury to officially announce the headlining matches for the WWE “Crown Jewel.”
Having competed in one of the most prolific heavyweight title fights in UFC history, Velasquez and Lesnar will face off again – this time in a pro wrestling match on Oct. 31 at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In a media scrum conducted after the press conference, Velasquez spoke about what the transition from MMA to professional wrestling has been like as he performed in one of Mexico’s premiere promotions these past few months.
According to Velasquez, his journey started in February when he attended the WWE’s “Elimination Chamber” event along with teammate and then-UFC champ Daniel Cormier.
“(We) saw the show,” Velasquez said. “I put out some stuff on social media just because it brought back those memories of me being a kid, watching it, having a great time. Just the whole experience.
“I had my people get in contact with the WWE so we could go to the training center and just mess around and see if I could even do this. I was there for a week, (and) I loved it. From then on, I’ve just been in talks with the WWE. We’ve had meetings here and there, and finally I’m here.”
Before he was able to officially put his name on the dotted line, Velasquez made a call to UFC president Dana White. Velasquez said the conversation was respectful, and White offered his blessing without hesitation.
“We ended up talking on the phone,” Velasquez said. “He just supported me 100 percent. It was just a good, respectful talk that we had. He thanked me for everything that I did. I thanked him and the company for everything that they did. He just gave me his full blessing. He said, ‘This is awesome, what you’re doing. Go ahead, you have my full consent to go ahead and do what you want to do.’”
Since signing with WWE, Velasquez has been in touch with Cormier. When asked if fans should expect to see him tag-team with Cormier in the future, Velasquez laughed.
“We’ve talked here and there,” Velasquez said. “He loves what I’m doing. … But, yeah, we’ve been keeping in touch. It’s just kind of crazy this road that I’ve gone into. It’s been such a short amount of time, but I’ve had a goal in mind of what I want to do in this sport
“… ‘DC’ loves it. He’s a big fan. That wouldn’t surprise me (to see us tag team).”
Velasquez said the official beginning of his wrestling career marks the end of his MMA run. A two-time UFC heavyweight champion, Velasquez has reached the highest peaks in MMA. He’s also experienced the lows as numerous injuries through the years have kept him on the shelf.
Velasquez’s first fight in two-and-a-half years took place earlier this year at UFC on ESPN 1, and it ended with a 26-second TKO loss to Francis Ngannou. To boot, Velasquez suffered a knee injury.
Now his newfound love for pro wresting will offer new challenges.
“As of right now, the chapter is closed on my MMA career,” Velasquez. “I’m focusing on the task at hand with the WWE. I love this sport. I’ve rebirthed myself into reliving it and loving it again. I’m all in on doing this. I’m diving deep into doing this, and this is what I’m doing for right now.”
Cain Velasquez talks being 'all in' on WWE, Dana White's reaction, tag-teaming with Daniel Cormier
