Report: Cain Velasquez signs multi-year deal with WWE, retires from MMA

It seemed like a fait accompli given that WWE booked Cain Velasquez to not only debut but ground-and-pound Brock Lesnar on the premiere of SmackDown on Fox last week. And when word spread the two-time UFC heavyweight champion removed himself from the USADA testing pooled, there was even more evidence Velasquez was officially changing careers.

But last week, it was said Cain hadn’t signed with the company. According to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, it’s now a done deal. Sources told ESPN “the former two-time UFC heavyweight champion, has signed a lucrative, multiyear deal with WWE and has also notified the UFC of his retirement”.

UFC didn’t comment, and WWE is holding a press conference with Velasquez, Lesnar, Braun Strowman and Tyson Fury in Las Vegas this afternoon where this will likely be addressed and/or confirmed.

“This is definitely my focus,” Velasquez said last week.

Now it sounds like it will be for a while.