Cain Velasquez Recalls Early Sparring With Islam Makhachev at AKA

Former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez reflected on the exceptional talent of Islam Makhachev during a recent appearance on the Shawn Ryan Show. Speaking about the current roster of fighters, Velasquez named his American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) teammate as one of the very best in the sport today. Makhachev, who trained alongside mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov, holds a 29-1 record, broke the UFC record for most lightweight title defenses, currently reigns as the promotion's welterweight champion, and sits atop MMA Fighting's pound-for-pound rankings.

Velasquez noted that Makhachev’s all-around skill set stood out immediately when they used to train together. "Islam is f*cking so skilled in the game, like f*cking good everywhere," Velasquez said. He recalled how Makhachev managed to land clean strikes during their light sparring sessions: "To where he was coming up, I’d spar with him, like light sparring, and he’d hit me with stuff—and nobody hits me with stuff—but he’d hit me with stuff, I’m like, 'Where the f*ck did that come from? This guy’s good.'"

Regarded as the sport's top heavyweight in the early 2010s, Velasquez headlined the UFC's first-ever Fox broadcast against Junior dos Santos in 2011 before persistent injuries hindered his career. Velasquez, who was arrested in February 2022 on attempted murder charges after a high-speed chase involving Harry Goularte, is currently out on parole after securing his release from prison this past February. Looking at the modern era, Velasquez noted that the sport has expanded into a billion-dollar business with near-weekly events broadcast on Paramount+, praising the ever-increasing level of today's athletes.