Cain Velasquez hurts knee, loses in first fight since 2016

Cain Velasquez’s return to the UFC was a disappointment on many levels.

Velasquez took on Francis Ngannou at UFC Phoenix on Sunday night and was knocked out in 26 seconds. He took a few punches, went in for a takedown, got hit with an uppercut, and then his knee gave out. He fell to the mat, took a few shots, and the fight was called.

WOW!@Francis_Ngannou gets it done in Arizona! #UFCPhoenix pic.twitter.com/xGF4ziuAZA

— UFC (@ufc) February 18, 2019

“It just kind of buckled there with those shots,” Velasquez said of his knee. “I stayed just a little too close too early. That’s where he’s dangerous.”

Velasquez said in his postfight interview with ESPN’s Jon Ank that he felt super ready for the fight and he’s not sure when he’ll be back next. He also apologized to the fans for the way the fight went.

Velasquez, a former UFC heavyweight champion, hadn’t fought since beating Travis Browne in 2016. He had a back injury that kept him from being cleared. In 2014, he underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

The 36-year-old’s body does not seem to be cooperating.