A coach of six UFC champions reveals who stands out above them.
Few MMA coaches have to this day what Javier Mendez has in the sport in sport with the American Kickboxing Academy General Coaching World Champions.
Mendez has coached the 29-0 Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez, Luke Rockhold and Frank Shamrock, with every champion left a decent legacy in the UFC.
With many praise between them, Coach Mendez has chosen one of his hunters as 'the greatest of all time' despite a non-so-pointed end in the most important promotion.
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Javier Mendez says that Cain Velasquez should be considered a heavyweight 'goat'
Former dual UFC champion Heavyweight Cain Velasquez is one of the most skilled hunters we have ever seen who enter the heavyweight division.
Velasquez was world famous for its cardio and pound. The former champion destroyed people like Brock Lesnar, Junior Dos Silva (twice) and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira in his heyday who would have lasted longer if it had not been for injuries that held him on the sidelines.
“Cain Velasquez is standing out quite well,” said Mendez on Red Hawk Summary with Tim Welch.
“Because of how great he was and the things he used to do and how great this man should have been.
“He is one, should have, should,” said Mendez about Velasquez.
“I say that would have been possible, that should be, because he should be considered the greatest heavyweight of all time for damn and certainly considered a 'goat'.”
Velasquez had four UFC title fights and a 12-3 record in the Octagon.
Cain Velasquez fought with the UFC three times over the past five years
In the midst of a legendary title in heavyweight, a knee injury for Velasquez forced him from a title defense against Fabricio Werdum in 2014.
Velasquez fight at height after a dismissal of almost two years, would lose his heavyweight title in 2015 to Werdum in Mexico City. More injuries accumulated for Velasquez in the coming years when he withdrew from an immediate title rematch in 2016 due to a back injury.
For five years, Velasquez only fought three times with his last fight against the powerful Francis Ngannou in 2019, where he was in the first 30 seconds after a knee injury in the first 30 seconds. This would be the last fight by Velasquez in the UFC.
“Too many things happened to him,” said coach Javier Mendez that Velasquez never achieved his true potential.
“Partly my fault, partly the fault of other people, partly his fault. Everyone had a role to blame that he was not what he should have been.
“So we all had a part in it,” Mendez added.