Cain Velasquez seeks title shot after UFC 200 win

MANILA, Philippines – Cain Velasquez was sidelined for over a year due to a career-threatening injury, but his hiatus did not prevent him from showcasing his vintage form by defeating Travis Browne at UFC 200 on Saturday, July 9 (Sunday Manila time).

Much like how he thumped his in-cage foes during his championship run, Velasquez never gave Browne room to breathe as he pounced on his opponent with a flashy spinning wheel kick and staggering punches. 

Browne was on the floor and could not prop himself up anymore as Velasquez rained down telling blows to the head that forced referee “Big” John McCarthy to stop it with just 3 seconds left before the break. 

Although many applauded his impressive victory against Browne, a perfectionist Velasquez was not satisfied on how he fought his taller foe. 

“I’m never happy with what I have. My timing was a little off as far as being able to close the distance. Yeah, it’s good to get a win, but I always want to be better. It’s about improving on those little things as a fighter. That’s just the way I am,” he said during the post-UFC 200 press conference. 

Still, Velasquez believes that it earned him a shot against the winner of the heavyweight championship clash between Stipe Miocic and Alistair Overeem at UFC 203 on September 10. 

“I always want to fight the best guys. I want the winner of Stipe [Miocic] and [Alistair] Overeem,” he stated.

Velasquez relinquished the gold-plated strap to Fabricio Werdum via third-round submission in June 2015. 

The two heavyweights were supposed to meet again earlier this year, but Velasquez was forced to pull out due to a back injury. 

During his absence, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization crowned a new kingpin in Miocic, who trounced Werdum via first-round knockout this past May.  

“I want to fight for the title in my next bout. I want the winner of Stipe and Overeem. I’ve always said I want to fight the best guys out there,” he said. – Rappler.com