Cain Velasquez Reportedly Signs Multiyear WWE Contract After Retiring from UFC
Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has reportedly retired from MMA and signed a multiyear contract with WWE, per Marc Raimondi of ESPN.
WWE announced Friday that Velasquez will face former UFC rival Brock Lesnar at the Crown Jewel event on Oct. 31 in Saudi Arabia.
The 37-year-old California native returned from a nearly three-year hiatus to headline UFC on ESPN 1 in February. He suffered a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou just 26 seconds into the first round.
He made his professional wrestling debut in August at Triplemania XXVII, a major event held by Mexican promotion AAA.
Velasquez's first WWE appearance came last week on Friday Night SmackDown's premiere episode on Fox. He got into a brawl with Lesnar, setting the stage for his first storyline.
"We've talked a little bit back and forth and nothing happened," he toldĀ RaimondiĀ following his SmackDown appearance about previous talks with WWE. "They wanted to see my development. I think they're pleased with what I'm doing now."
Velasquez defeated Lesnar by first-round knockout at UFC 121 in 2010 to capture the UFC Heavyweight Championship. They never met again inside the Octagon.
That sets the backdrop for their meeting at Crown Jewel. Lesnar, also a former UFC heavyweight champion, is one of WWE's top Superstars, and it's possible Velasquez follows the same path if he's able to make a strong early impression.
In the short term, WWE will hope the crossover appeal of the former UFC combatants helps boost SmackDown ratings on Fox.
