Daniel Cormier insists injuries prevented UFC ‘monster’ from becoming heavyweight GOAT

Velasquez posted a 12-3 record in the UFC’s heavyweight division, with four title wins and two successful defences to his name.

He still holds the record for the longest title reign in the division, although it is worth mentioning that injuries kept him sidelined for nearly two years during that stretch.

Cormier said there is no doubt in his mind that, without those injuries, Velasquez would have been the clear heavyweight GOAT.

Speaking on Aljamain Sterling’s YouTube channel, ‘DC’ said: “The best. I’ve never seen anything like it. I still today have not seen anything like it.

“The training, the skill set, the ability. He really could do it all.

“If he didn’t have all those injuries, he would be by far the greatest heavyweight of all time.

“No one would’ve beaten him.

“He was one of those kids that had nothing. He had so little that when he would get mixed up with people, no matter what they told him to do, he would do.

“The strength coach told him to leg press 800 pounds. He’d leg press 800 pounds. He just did everything, bro.

“He was a monster, and he just worked and he worked and he worked. And he worked himself into injury after injury after injury.”

Cain Velasquez’s last UFC win came at UFC 200

Velasquez has not fought in over six years, and it has been close to a decade since he last had his hand raised.

He suffered a knee injury just 26 seconds into the first round, bringing an abrupt end to his final appearance in the Octagon, against Francis Ngannou.

Velasquez’s last victory came back at UFC 200 in 2016, where he faced Travis Browne.

He stopped Browne in the closing seconds of the opening round, showing flashes of the skill that once made him champion.