Overview
- Speaking on Aljamain Sterling’s YouTube channel, Cormier said no heavyweight would have beaten Velasquez if he had stayed healthy.
- He described Velasquez as a relentless “monster” whose habit of doing everything asked in the gym led to “injury after injury.”
- Velasquez is a two-time UFC heavyweight champion with wins over Brock Lesnar, Junior dos Santos (twice), Antônio Silva (twice), Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Ben Rothwell, and he owns the division’s longest title reign.
- His last win came at UFC 200 in 2016, and his final fight was a 2019 loss to Francis Ngannou that ended with a knee injury 26 seconds into the opening round.
- Training partner Luke Rockhold called Velasquez “invincible” at his peak, and reporting notes he is serving a five-year prison sentence for attempted murder with possible parole eligibility in March 2026.