The best and worst from UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs Velasquez

#1 Worst: Velasquez’s body betrays him again

Cain Velasquez was betrayed by his body in his loss

Back in 2008, people in the know believed that the only thing likely to stop Velasquez from becoming the greatest Heavyweight in MMA history would be his own body breaking down. A decade later, that would appear to be the case.

After a total of 2 years and 7 months on the shelf during his latest injury hiatus – a period that also saw him denied a licence from the Nevada State Athletic Commission due to concerns over his health – he was supposed to be 100% healthy last night. But that clearly wasn’t the case.

The former Heavyweight champ came into his fight with Francis Ngannou looking, well, old. And just 26 seconds into the fight he was stopped following a combination of an uppercut from Ngannou, and his left knee buckling underneath his weight after he simply planted his foot.

How long this new knee injury will keep him out for is anyone’s guess. But the likelihood is that we’ll probably never see Cain healthy in the Octagon again.

Maybe it's time we accepted that his prime came in 2010 – when he took the UFC title from Brock Lesnar – and that the real Velasquez is gone for good due to all of his various injuries.