Cain Velasquez Talks His Brock Lesnar WWE Match Being Disappointing

On a recent edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez made an appearance. Velasquez discussed his upcoming return to AAA in December, and he reflected on his WWE experience. Velasquez had one big televised match against Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel 2019, and Velasquez gave his thoughts on the match two years later.

"It is what it is," Velasquez admitted. "That was me going into it and really just figuring out what it was. It was all thrown at me at once. I was there for whatever anybody needed, as far as building it to whatever they wanted me to build it to. That didn't happen around this turnaround. I'm sorry to everyone that I let down. That hurts me as well because I expect a lot out of myself. I expect more for myself."

Velasquez had made his pro wrestling debut in August of 2019 for AAA. He competed under a mask and impressed many in the pro wrestling world showing his own and utilizing the hurricanrana in impression fashion. However, Velasquez dropped the mask in WWE, and he revealed why that was the case.

"They wanted me to stay in that MMA zone. They wanted me to have a rivalry with Brock, but they weren't willing to put the time in to have us work together" Velasquez said. "They wanted us to do that, and well, you know how that ended. I felt good in that style (lucha libre). I don't know if they saw it wouldn't work. That to me, and I think everyone else, was a clear path, but that's not what they chose for me."

Velasquez lost in quick fashion to Lesnar at Crown Jewel to the surprise of many fans since they had seen previous evidence that he could hold his own in the ring. Velasquez spoke on what it was like to work with Lesnar.

"We didn't work much, but talking to him just for a little bit, just for that little bit, I just know where he comes from," Velasquez said. "Just in that little time spent, and I mean very little, very little, I know what he's about, and I respect him for that. What you see out there. What you see when he performs, all that sh*t, he lives it. He breathes it. That's him. That persona that you see, that's him out there. That's his true self. Close quarters, he's obviously more human, but that's him. That's his whole being. I believe that just by talking to him. I can just see it."

Velasquez had previously defeated Lesnar in the UFC at UFC 121 in 2010 to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Helwani asked Velasquez if there was still some friction between him and Lesnar over that encounter.

"There's always going to be friction there," Velasquez noted. "Yeah there was, but we got to work together. I don't think it mattered. I think it all came down to the development. That's what it all came down to was that. Once that's there, it doesn't matter who you go with. You're prepared for anything, but me being so green, I'm almost in the middle. What do I do? What do I need to learn because I'm still not sure about it.

"In MMA, I'm so sure about it. In collegiate wrestling, I'm so sure about it. Those types of things I know. These different types of sports, they're a different rhythm. It's the opposite of MMA. It's true. Every movement is the opposite of MMA where you need to show the emotion. You need to show the technique. You need to show the movement and always be opened up so everyone can see, so everyone can see the punch. MMA, it's the opposite.

"We hide it. No one sees it until it makes contact. We hide our set-ups until we hit it. Everything's fast. Everything's A, B, C, no stopping, do it as fast as you can as smoothly as you can, but there, it's the opposite. Show everyone what you're doing, A, B, C. For me, it was progression, just a totally different way of competing in a way I've never competed before."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The MMA Hour with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.