Cain Velasquez is heading toward Real American Freestyle, if his coach has it right. Javier Mendez told MMA Junkie that Velasquez’s camp is already in discussions with RAF, and he didn’t hedge on the timeline.
“Cain Velasquez. Hands down, Cain Velasquez,” Mendez said when asked which of his famous pupils was likeliest to sign with the promotion. “DC’s too busy. Cain Velasquez would be the best candidate with them and actually, we’re in discussions with them. So, Cain Velasquez is coming to RAF soon.”
The question put to Mendez was a three-way pick between Velasquez, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier, all of whom he has coached. He picked one name and gave a reason for ruling out another. Boxing News also ran the story that Velasquez is in talks with RAF. No signed deal has been announced, so for now this is a coach talking. Still, it’s a coach with a name attached to the quote, which beats the usual whispers.
Velasquez hasn’t competed since 2019, when Francis Ngannou stopped him in 26 seconds in a fight that ended a three-year layoff. He announced his retirement from MMA several months later. Bloody Elbow reported that he spent over 300 days in prison before his release near the start of this year. Earlier in 2026 he didn’t rule out a return, and he has recently been linked to grappling matches. Bloody Elbow also pointed out that the Ngannou fight was the first bout of a new four-fight UFC deal, so any MMA comeback would have to happen in the Octagon. A freestyle wrestling outfit sidesteps that problem entirely.
The résumé still holds up. Velasquez knocked out Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 in 2010 to win the heavyweight title and move to 9-0. He lost the belt to Junior dos Santos at the first UFC on Fox card the next year, then ripped off four straight wins, beating Antonio Silva and dos Santos twice each, reclaiming the title at UFC 155 and defending it twice. Injuries kept him out before Fabricio Werdum submitted him at UFC 188 in an upset. His last UFC win was a first-round finish of Travis Browne at UFC 200 in 2016. He was booked again later that year, but the Nevada State Athletic Commission pulled him from UFC 207 over his health.
He hasn’t exactly vanished. Velasquez, 44, recently oversaw a training session with Alex Pereira, who meets Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event of UFC 335. His name also keeps coming up as the standard for heavyweight wrestlers. Ciryl Gane’s coach Fernand Lopez compared Josh Hokit to Velasquez ahead of their UFC 334 title fight at Madison Square Garden on November 14.
RAF has been stockpiling crossover names and recently rolled out rankings full of them. It’s also generating its own drama. MMA Mania noted Gable Steveson allegedly threatened to knock out Bo Nickal at an RAF event.
My take: this is the right comeback for Velasquez. Nobody needs to see a 44-year-old with his injury history take another punch from a younger heavyweight, and a wrestling match lets him compete without that risk. Mendez said soon. RAF has to put an opponent and a date on paper before soon means anything, but I’d want a ticket for the first night it does.
