Uncrowned Heavyweight GOAT Cain Velasquez’s Coach Takes Shots at Jon Jones’ UFC Spot

Jon Jones may hold the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight crown, but his greatness doesn’t extend to him receiving his due! Among those unpersuaded is Team Khabib, whose allegiance lies firmly with Daniel Cormier, Jones’s fiercest rival. But amid this backdrop of loyalty and rivalry, another name has emerged in the discussion for heavyweight greatness—Cain Velasquez.

Training at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), Velasquez made his UFC debut in 2008. He went on a tear that saw him claim the UFC heavyweight title by demolishing Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 in 2010. However, multiple injuries cut his career short. This also dented his legacy as other worthy competitions had much better feats. However, according to Javier Mendez, AKA’s head coach, Velasquez had the potential to surpass every heavyweight in the UFC, including Jones!

Jon Jones’s GOAT status comes under fire as Javier Mendez highlights Cain Velasquez’s potential  

In a recent conversation with Kevin Iole, Javier Mendez didn’t mince words when talking about what could have been if Cain Velasquez achieved his full potential inside the Octagon. Iole, a veteran journalist, posed the question, “I thought that Cain was that guy at heavyweight that might have been the prototype of what a great MMA heavyweight could be. Do you agree with that?” The AKA head coach responded, “I’ve always said that. He was the greatest heavyweight that didn’t materialize. He’s still one of the greats but he should be the greatest heavyweight of all time and he should be the, basically the hallmark of what a great heavyweight should be.”

Velasquez’s career, though glittering, feels incomplete for a lot of fans in the MMA sphere. He was a two-time UFC heavyweight champion who dominated legends like Lesnar, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Junior Dos Santos. Yet, the promise of a long reign remained unfulfilled even with 2-successful title defenses and the record for second-most knockouts in the UFC’s heavyweight division history.

As such, Mendez further shared, “It should be Cain Velasquez and unfortunate management, coaches, you know, family, injuries, organizations, you name it. Whatever was meant to happen not in his favor, happened in his favor. And I was partly to blame on that road too. I can’t say oh it was this. We all had a share in his rise and his, slightly, fall. ”

While Velasquez’s “what if” story lingers, Jon Jones’s dominance in two weight classes continues to spark debate. But can Bones’ achievements eclipse Velasquez’s potential? Mendez’s comments suggest otherwise. For him, Velasquez represented the ideal of what a heavyweight should be—a mix of raw power, agility, and tactical brilliance.

In fact, in a previous interview with MMA Fighting, Daniel Cormier had also indicated, “Ask me, ask Khabib [Nurmagomedov], ask the guys that saw him in the gym when he was healthy and he was good, nobody was like Cain.”

What if Cain Velasquez had stayed healthy? What if Jon Jones had faced him at his peak? The answers remain elusive, adding another layer to the never-ending debate about the greatest heavyweight of all time. But according to Velasquez himself, Jones might end up settling the debate handily if he faces off against Tom Aspinall in a fight that fans have been clamoring for!

Cain Velasquez believes Jones has the tools to dismantle Tom Aspinall  

Tom Aspinall, the current UFC interim heavyweight champion, has made it clear he wants to test himself against Jon Jones. While fans wait for confirmation about the highly-anticipated title unification bout, Cain Velasquez seems to think that ‘Bones’ might be too much for the British champion to handle.

While UFC CEO Dana White has stated, “I’ll say 100 percent (the fight happens),”, the questions remain about what the fight would look like once the cage doors are closed. In a conversation with Ariel Helwani, the former 2-time UFC heavyweight champion stated, “Again, Jon studies, man. He does his homework, you know. He’s a master at this. He analyzes things and studies things over and over again. I think just for that reason, he’s going to know what to do. I don’t think he beats Jon, no.”

But does that mean Aspinall has no shot? Not exactly. Velasquez acknowledged Aspinall’s effectiveness, praising his aggressive style and the success it’s brought him. Yet, the former champ argued that this same aggression could be Aspinall’s Achilles’ heel against someone as cerebral as Jones. How? According to Velasquez, “He’s done great things with it, look at where he’s at now. But I think the type of guy that Jon Jones is, I think he studies him and beats him because of that.”

Aspinall’s aggression and rise to interim champion are impressive, but Velasquez’s doubts about his ability to topple Jones add intrigue to the potential clash. For Velasquez, it’s clear: Jones is a puzzle few can solve. Ultimately, the Octagon holds the answers to these debates. Will Aspinall succeed where others have failed, or will Jones once again prove why his name is etched in the annals of MMA history? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!