The MMA veteran did spend some time training at the WWE Performance Center before the upcoming Octagon return and Velasquez has nothing but great things to say about his time there.
“It was more like just a learning process for me, it’s obviously a different sport… a whole different way of doing it. So for me, it was just an opportunity to see…to see if I can even do it. If it translated over from what I’ve done in the past to this or is it something totally different, I found that for me…I learned a lot of the stuff just really quickly from past experiences, from wrestling…from MMA. It’s like working with someone instead of working against them and trying to beat them, which I thought was super cool. Really good atmosphere with the people that are their…the coaches, in there…you’re teamed together, you’re helping each other go forward and trying to make the WWE the best thing that it can be and just that mentality is awesome. It’s different from what we do here in mixed martial arts, we have teams that we’re associated with…yes, but as far as the whole sport in general…we’re not all really working together for the same goals. It’s a little different, it’s a little more self centered. WWE may seem that way, but it’s not. It’s people working together, it’s the people in charge like Triple H helping everyone to be their best and that to me is something I haven’t experienced since I was in college or high school. Just a really positive work environment, it was awesome," Velasquez said at the UFC Fight Night Phoenix media day.
There have been several big name MMA fighters who have had success transitioning into pro wrestling, including Ronda Rousey, Ken Shamrock, Tom Lawlor, Dan Severn and more.
After spending that time in the WWE Performance Center, one thing the UFC star knows is that he can transition into pro wrestling and be successful at it.
“Hell yeah (I can do it), I am (interested in doing it) just because the transition for me…it was pretty easy, not pretty easy…but it was. I’m pretty athletic for a big guy, I learned by watching somebody doing something I can do pretty well. I’ve never been a guy to be sitting in a classroom, I try to learn that way. That’s never been me, but to be in a setting like that…where you’re hands on, learning that way is the best way I learn. I did it all, I was there and I did whatever they asked of me. (I wasn’t like) ‘no, no I’m not doing that.’ That wasn’t me, I was in there doing everything they asked. Trying to learn the baby steps and go from there and also have fun in the process, Diamond Dallas Page was there doing his DDP Yoga before every workout session that we did and it was great. Again, everybody meeting up to do that and before, everybody worked out…it was just a great community to be a part of," says Velasquez.
Velasquez has stated in the past that the goal is to be the best as everything he attempts and pro wrestling can be a part of that as well.
“That could be one of those things (that I want to be the best at), yes. With that too, it will also take time. I need to be in the gym more to do that, I gotta be engulfed in it for months and months to be the best that I could at it. I’m not looking to go in and do it half-ass, to do some appearances here and there. Again, if I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it a hundred percent. That’s just the way I am," says Velasquez.
UFC Fight Night Phoenix takes place on Sunday, February 17 from the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona with Francis Ngannou and Cain Velasquez headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on ESPN.
