Report: Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez released by WWE

Cain Velasquez’s WWE tenure did not last long.

According to pro wrestling reporter Dave Meltzer, Velasquez was cut from the roster as part of WWE’s releases and furloughs, Meltzer announced on Tuesday’s Wrestling Observer Radio.

After a few stints with the AAA promotion, Velasquez made his WWE debut this past October on Smackdown, which set up a match against former UFC foe Brock Lesnar for the WWE title at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia.

Velasquez, who dethroned Lesnar in 2010 to win the UFC heavyweight title, was quickly defeated by Lesnar in their WWE match and hasn’t competed for the company since.

His last appearance in the UFC came in a first-round stoppage loss to Francis Ngannou in February 2019. After that, Velasquez withdrew from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency testing pool, effectively signaling his MMA retirement.