C. Velasquez (photo) injured his knee. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
The head coach of Cain Velazquez, Javier Mendez, stated that the UFC heavyweight champion's knee injury was more serious than he had initially imagined.
The fighter, who recently underwent surgery to repair the injury, injured his meniscus and the medial collateral ligament of his knee during training for the fight he would have with Fabricio Werdum on November 15th, at UFC 180. Mendez believes that the champion should return to action in the second quarter of next year.
“The surgery was successful, but there was more damage than we expected. If Cain says 'ouch', it must be a lot worse than he makes it out to be, because he's a guy who can take pain like I've never seen. So, in the end, his ligament was worse. So, he’s going to stay away a little longer than we thought,” said Mendez, in an interview with “The MMA Hour” podcast.
The AKA gym leader revealed that Velasquez was training to face Werdum with another knee injury. “Originally, he had a slight meniscus tear, but he was fine. He was training, doing everything he needed to fight. He was practicing sprawls and the floor was a little slippery. When he made the movement, his knee went one way and his body went the other. I heard a scream and thought 'what the hell'. So the combination of the ligament and the meniscus tear was a little too much,” he said.
Despite Velasquez having a career marred by injuries, Mendez is confident that his pupil will prove to be the greatest heavyweight in MMA history. “If he hadn't gotten injured, he would be the greatest heavyweight of all time because of what he's capable of doing. I truly believe it will take more time for people to see him as the best. He wants to be the greatest of all time – he's not yet, because he needs a few more fights. But he will get there. It’s just going to take a little longer,” he said.
Without Velasquez, Werdum and Hunt star at UFC 180
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