Overview
- This week Velasquez told the Weighing In podcast that he has no desire for a full comeback and would only consider fighting again if the pay was “really damn good.”
- Velasquez was paroled in February after serving roughly 10 to 11 months of a sentence tied to a 2022 shooting case and has since avoided competition.
- Since his release he has stayed involved in the sport in non‑fighting roles, working broadcast duties at MVP MMA, coaching at American Kickboxing Academy and briefly appearing for WWE.
- Practical barriers make a sustained return unlikely: he is 43, has not fought since a 26‑second KO loss to Francis Ngannou in February 2019, and carries years of injuries and ring rust.
- MVP MMA’s Netflix‑backed debut demonstrated that promoters outside the UFC can pay large purses for legacy names, which could tempt one‑off comebacks but is unlikely to erase the physical and personal obstacles Velasquez described.