I have other interests now

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is willing to fight again but only if he gets paid properly.

Velasquez’s last MMA fight was a 26-second loss to Francis Ngannou in 2019. He then tried his hand at professional wrestling and had a short stint in WWE before being cut during the COVID pandemic.

The 43-year-old Californian was recently released on parole after a shooting incident that took place in 2022. The former UFC star tried to attack a man who had allegedly molested his son. Several MMA stars came out in his support after the incident.

Velasquez seems content with his life, and even though many big names returned to fighting in recent months, the biggest being Ronda Rousey, he believes only a large pay package would see him fight.

Velasquez was on the Weighing In podcast and had this to say on his potential return (H/t: MMA Junkie):

“The money has to make me want to do it because, I’ve said this before, I don’t want to do it.”

However, he believes that no party is keen on making such an offer:

“I have other interests now. But the money really has to make me want to do it, and I don’t think anybody is willing to pay that.”

Velasquez also turned down the notion that coaching could be his route back to fighting:

“In that way, I don’t. It doesn’t interest me anymore. I get so into what I’m doing that, whatever you want to call it, it doesn’t do it for me anymore.”

Cain Velasquez wants to take things slow after prison release

Cain Velasquez posted a heartfelt message after his release from prison. The former UFC heavyweight champion thanked people for their support as he was able to spend time with his family:

“Now that it’s been a couple of weeks, since my release, I’ve had some time to kind of get back into things, back into a normal way of life, get used to normal things, being at home with my family, being with my kids and I wanted to thank everybody for their love and support.”

He wanted to take things slow as he was adjusting to his life:

“You have no idea what your words, your tour encouragement and your love has meant to me and my family. Just thank you. I will keep doing the work to get back to everyone and for just myself now, to fully get back out there without… I don’t want to overwhelm myself with the pace of life that I was getting used to, to now all of a sudden, a new way of life, a new way of living, a new rhythm.”