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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
UFC President Dana White said recently that he believed UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and friend/teammate/coach Daniel Cormier would fight one another because neither had explicitly told him otherwise. Well, it wasn't said to his face, but Velasquez made his stance on that clear on Tuesday night on Fuel TV's "UFC Tonight" program.
"I was thinking [I'd like to return] this summer. But I would not fight [Daniel Cormier]," Velasquez said. "He's my coach, teammate and my friend."
Velasquez recaptured the belt in December, defeating Junior dos Santos by decision at UFC 155, avenging his sole career loss. Cormier, who won the Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix in 2012, will make his UFC debut on April 20 against Frank Mir at UFC on Fox 7.
Penick's Analysis: This isn't surprising at all. Velasquez has been pretty consistent with his take on that fight, and it's only been White trying to keep it alive. It's just not going to happen, and it's why Cormier's most likely heading down to light heavyweight if he gets past Mir in April. While it'd be fantastic to see the two of them meet in the cage, just because they're so similar as fighters, it's not in the cards. That said, who knows what's in store for Velasquez's next bout, as the sensible next opponent in Alistair Overeem got himself knocked out last weekend.
[Cain Velasquez art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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