How great a fighter could've Cain Velasquez been?

[Barteh]

He might be the best UFC HW in history already.

 

[wwkirk]

He had a bunch of serious injuries that thwarted his abilities to fully realize his potential imo.

If he was more healthy do you think he would have reached GOAT status?

Ranked up there with the rest of the GOATs Fedor, Jones, GSP and Anderson.

I voted for number 2, but would have liked a more moderate option.

 

[HHJ]

He was already great.

 

[ThePimblettEra]

If you didn't vote option 1 or 2, find another sport. Sincerely, do it - you don't know what you're watching.

Cain was a frightening competitor in his peak. Especially for a HW, where the skill-cap can be considered a little bit lower, typically (lots of guys relying purely on KO power etc, and not the finer skills of the game).

Prime Cain puts a clinic on 99% of all HWs past or present, so it's option 1 or 2, clearly.

 

[Brigfa2]

He is the Usman of the HW, beating same guys over and over

 

[spinup]

He had a bunch of serious injuries that thwarted his abilities to fully realize his potential imo.

If he was more healthy do you think he would have reached GOAT status?

Ranked up there with the rest of the GOATs Fedor, Jones, GSP and Anderson.

With climate change, in 2050 most events will be at sea level or below. If they clone Cain now, they will have a HW GOAT by then.

 

[chinarice]

He is the Chris Weidman of the HW division

 

[RockyLockridge]

Could have been GOAT, But I see him as the BOAT.

2009 Cain I don't bet on a single mma fighter in the history of the sport to beat him.

 

[LiQuiD42]

In my opinion the dude could have been a killer.

 

[jjjjjjjjjjohnny]

Cain was not in the top 10. he didn't make a real mark, a lot of hype but it washed out pretty quickly. his best win was against a non-mma fighter in Brock.

 

[RockyLockridge]

Cain was not in the top 10. he didn't make a real mark, a lot of hype but it washed out pretty quickly. his best win was against a non-mma fighter in Brock.

Stupidest shit I’ve read today

 

[Subline]

He had potential to be the UFC's heavyweight GOAT. I think he would have beaten Stipe and early 30's Ngannou.

 

[blewgums]

He’s no Tim Sylvia.

Plus he ducked Godzilla.

 

[bubbleboyjones]

Cain is the goat you rubes

Name ONE fighter who can do 1000 reps maxed out on the leg extension machine?

Ill wait.....

 

[jeff7b9]

Cain was never going to last with the way he trained.

There is no other way it could have gone.
Thus no "what if"

 

[Clark Rogers]

Cain, for me, might be the biggest what if fighter out there.

His talent was undeniable, I underestimated him in the Brock match and lost that bet, and his wars with JDS were great.

High likelihood he's HW GOAT and on the p4p GOAT list too if his knees hadn't gone to shit.

 

[Clark Rogers]

Cain is the goat you rubes

Name ONE fighter who can do 1000 reps maxed out on the leg extension machine?

Ill wait.....

Every time I see a Cain thread I think about this gif lol. Given what happened to his knees you can't help but wonder what effect this kinda training has on them.

 

[JBJ was here]

Part of Prime Cain being Prime Cain is that he was the kind of crazy who maxed out weight and power on knee extensions. He was a kind of crazy in the gym that helps put you on top until, sooner rather than later, your body says "no mas!" If not for the injuries he likely wouldn't have been Cain in the first place.

 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Devil's advocate here:

He would have been figured out if he fought a wider selection of opponents. Were the Werdum sub or JDS KO really flukes? The rockings against Kongo?

(that said, yeah if he was healthy I think he had a shot at goat hw, maybe goat goat)

 

[bubbleboyjones]

Every time I see a Cain thread I think about this gif lol. Given what happened to his knees you can't help but wonder what effect this kinda training has on them.

Dont forget the GOAT trainer himself Joey Grasso
He trains MMA fighters by day and makes pizzas by night