Cain Velasquez Out 6-8 Months

[Turd Ferguson]

Newly crowned champ Cain Velasquez will be out of action for six to eight months with an injured shoulder, sources with knowledge of the situation told MMA Fighting.

UFC president Dana White subsequently confirmed the news to MMA Fighting following Wednesday's UFC 125 press conference at the MGM Grand Hotel.

Top contender Junior Dos Santos has been waiting for his promised title shot since beating Roy Nelson at UFC 117.

Expectations had been that Velasquez would defend his title against Dos Santos at the UFC's Toronto debut in April.

For those who have been following the Brock Lesnar rumor watch, this only gives the former champ more leverage to use in his negotiations with the UFC.

In the past the UFC has installed interim champions when reigning champs have been out for extended periods, most recently Shane Carwin held the interim title when Brock Lesnar was out with an illness.

Well, if I'm the UFC here, the solution is simple. Book Brock vs. Dos Santos for the Interim Heavyweight Championship.

You can't keep Dos Santos on ice for nearly a year as he waits for a title shot. As this year with the Light Heavyweight Championship proved, keeping the division on hold as you wait for the champion to heal up benefits nobody.

Also, Brock and title fights are an instant million buys. It doesn't matter if it's for an interim title, the two go together so well, and you can easily sell a Brock vs. Velasquez rematch to unify the titles. Furthermore, if they really want JDS to take that leap into superstardom, then a potential win over Brock Lesnar would certainly accomplish that.

You give Brock what he wants, which is another shot at the title, and you give JDS his promised title shot. It's win/win, easily.

What do you think the UFC should do with this situation?

 

[Final Form Snyper.]

Pretty much what you have covered Compton. Brock is a fighter who can sell 1,000,000+ buys. Would you not give him a chance at a rematch whilst giving Junior Dos Santos the best fight he could have asked for infront of the world. For him to knock over Brock would give him back his confidence because Roy Nelson stood and took everything Dos Santos could have thrown at him.

UFC can't possibly think that leaving the #1 contender waiting for Cain for nearly a year out waiting for this fight isn't the way to go about it.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

Putting Brock in a fight versus JDS makes sense, no one else is the Heavyweight division is really ready for a title shot or should I say really earned one yet. The only problem is that with Dana switching Mir for Cro Cop against Schaub makes me tend to to believe that Brock and Mir will be the next TUF coaches. So Brock wouldn't be available to fight JDS for an interim title. Or Mir could also be the one to take on JDS if they do have the interim title. Mir is always lurking around the top of the division, so it wouldn't surprise me if they gave him the fight, even though Brock would be the bigger draw, who knows what his status is, as there hasn't been much word on him since the Cain fight, only that he was hunting, and Dana hasn't been in contact with him. You never know, they might just sit JDS as well, and not award an interim title fight, much like when Shogun was hurt and made Evans wait. I'm sure once we'll know more once Cain sees a specialist.

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

Unfortunate news as I was looking forward to JDS and Cain. Heavyweight division is frustrating right about now not many people that have stood out and are ready for a title shot. Frank Mir i don't know if he has done enough to deserve a title shot, looked very poor against Mirko Cro Cop and had a fight scheduled against Brenan Schaub so he maybe considered for TUF. JDS vs Brock Lesnar sounds logical and is good from a business standpoitn because anything involving Brock Lesnar is a million buys or close to it. JDS could wait...

 

[jmt225]

I would not be surprised if they just make JDS wait it out until Cain Velasquez is back. I mean, Rashad got to wait, why can't JDS get the same treatment?

I agree with those above though that Lesnar vs. JDS is the best option, and definitely what I would do if in charge (just as I would have made Rashad fought again before Shogun's return).

It's really shocking how just a couple of months ago everyone was harping about how great the UFC Heavyweight Division currently is and how it's the best it's ever been. Today, if you look at it, it's in shambles. The champion is out, Lesnar wants to do Wrestlemania, Big Nog is nowhere to be found, Roy Nelson can't fight due to the Roy Jones Jr. contract, Shane Carwin is hurt, both Mir and Cro Cop are coming off one of the worst main events of all time, Cheick Kongo sucks, and Stefan Struve is hit or miss.

The only people left are Brendan Schaub and Matt Mitrione. Schaub will fight Cro Cop next, and Mitrione is still too inexperienced to throw him in the main event at this point.

It's really a shame how quickly the division fell off. It'll be really interesting to see though how the UFC handles everything.

 

[INDYjon22]

I don't know, if all these rumors about Lesnar wanting out of his UFC contract are true then I really don't believe he should be in any situation where he could win the belt because for all the UFC knows he may win the belt and then leave the company for the WWE. The fight does make sense and would be a big money maker, but I just have a hard time getting behind this possible fight with the knowledge of Brock maybe leaving happening.

 

[Tech N9ne]

I agree with you Guy. I see nowhere else they could really go with this. Keeping JDS on the shelf would be bad for everyone, including the UFC. I think JDS is an exciting fighter and has literally a fighters chance against anyone in the world.

JDS is explosive and I would hate it if UFC made him wait forever. The only logical match up for JDS if they decide to have an interim champion would be Lesnar.

The only thing that sucks about it is we wouldn't get the JDS/Velasquez undefeated Vs. undefeated match. I think Lesnar would absolutely destroy JDS. Sure he could KO Brock if he caught him. But JDS does not have the size and wrestling ability as Velasquez does. I think Lesnar would take him down and pound him for 3 Rounds, unless JDS was pounded out before that point.

Then we would be left with Lesnar Vs. Velasquez 2. I think it will have a similar if not exact same outcome. Styles make fights and Lesnar just isn't equipped enough to beat Cain.