Cain Velasquez: I Understand Why WWE Had To Release Me

Cain Velasquez says he can 'understand' why WWE let him go from his contract last year, saying the company were not using him enough and paying him too much.

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Velasquez signed with WWE in 2019 and competed officially in one match, battling Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title at Crown Jewel 2019 in a losing effort.

As Velasquez worked on his wrestling style, COVID-19 hit in early 2020, resulting in WWE cutting a host of talent from the books, including the 39-year-old.

Velasquez has no qualms about WWE's decision and gets the company's thought process, especially given he was not being used for any shows at the time.

When asked about his release from WWE by Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, Velasquez said: "Primarily it was because of COVID. They had to just drop a lot of the roster in order to just keep their core guys in. I just wasn't developed enough. I really needed to sit down and practice that style of wrestling for a while and develop a lot more. That wasn't the case, it was more of...I just didn't get to develop in that way.

"They just didn't use me. I wasn't called to go in and have them use me. At one point they told me we were going to do something with the lucha guys and when that time came close, we were deep into COVID and they were like, 'We're just doing the shows this way, we just need these core guys.' They just needed me to develop a lot more and I wasn't there yet. They really couldn't use me in that way.

"They weren't using me enough and they were paying me too much, so they had to let me go. I understand. It's business."

When asked if he regretted going to WWE, Valesquez added: "I don't. I think it was meant for me to go there. I'm glad I got the experience of knowing what it's all about. Knowing how the company works, how the guys work, everything. It was a great learning experience. I learned a lot from it.

"All I can do is take that and make it better next time if they give me another chance or just know what that is and appreciate my time."

H/T Fightful