UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is the baddest man on the planet inside the Octagon, but he’s been extremely fragile outside the cage over the past couple of years. Velasquez has injured his right knee and has been forced to withdraw from his UFC 180 bout against challenger Fabricio Werdum in Mexico City.
Now, Mark Hunt will step in on really short notice to face Werdum for the interim heavyweight title.
“I’m so unbelievably disappointed that this happened,” Velasquez said. “To say I was looking forward to fighting in Mexico for the first time is an understatement. I wanted to fight on that card so bad. Looks like it wasn’t meant to be and it’s not going to happen. I’m going to get my [right] knee fixed and get back to training as soon as I can. I’m sorry to the fans in Mexico who were expecting this fight, and I hope to be able to come down and still be a part of this historic event.”
Velasquez will now miss the entire 2014 year and will have only fought seven times since February 2010.
Mark Hunt spoke on the unlikely scenario unfolding in his favor:
“I feel blessed to have this opportunity to fight for another world title. This is something that doesn’t happen often to people. First K1 and now UFC – how can I say no, even though it’s on short notice? I’m dropping everything and flying to Mexico tomorrow so I can best prepare myself for this fight. I have to get into shape and acclimatize to that environment, which is really important.
“There’s nothing to lose when you’re competing against the best at the top level,” Hunt added.
The event is set for November 15 in Mexico City.
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