UFC
Cain Velasquez may not be ready by November, UFC Champ won't come back until he's 100 percent
Apr 24, 2014 - 11:25:50 AM Cain Velasquez may not be ready by November, UFC Champ won't come back until he's 100 percent

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez may not be ready to go by November as planned. According to a report from Ariel Helwani on Wednesday's "UFC Tonight" on Fox Sports 1, Velasquez still hasn't been cleared to use his left arm in any considerable fashion after shoulder surgery late last year.

Velasquez's coach says he's not sure if a November date - which the UFC is tentatively targeting for a bout with Fabricio Werdum in Mexico City - will be possible, as Velasquez won't rush his return. He's also not planning to fight until he's 100 percent ready to go, given his only loss came when he rushed back from an injury.

If his condition improves, it's possible he and Velasquez could coach a Latin America season of The Ultimate Fighter, which would potentially film by next month to air in Mexico and other countries throughout Latin America in the lead up to the bout.

Penick's Analysis: I completely understand Velasquez not wanting to rush anything as far as his recovery is concerned. That said, it's really disconcerting to hear that he's not been cleared full to use that arm in training, and the longer it takes, the longer he's on the sidelines. The longer he's on the sidelines, the more ring rust plays into his return. Hopefully this is just added caution, and he still winds up fighting this fall, but it's worrisome that things are still not progressing that well.

[Cain Velasquez art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]