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Cain Velasquez Won't Rush Rehab for Mexico, but Appears Ready to Coach First TUF Latin America

If Cain Velasquez Can't Recover On Time, UFC 180 Interim Champ Could Become Permanent

After Fabricio Werdum dominated Travis Browne at UFC on FOX 11 last weekend, he is guaranteed the next shot at UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez when the champ returns from shoulder surgery.

The only question now is when that will be.

Velasquez’s coach, Javier Mendez, told UFC Tonight that his fighter had his right hand cleared for training a couple weeks ago by his doctor. The left hand, however, has yet to be cleared, and that’s the side that Velasquez had shoulder surgery.

Mendez also stressed that, while the hope is to have Velasquez and Werdum fight in Mexico City in November, Velasquez will not rush his rehabilitation. He will only fight when he is 100-percent recovered.

November is still quite a ways off, so it’s not yet time to throw up any red flags. The situation is still in “wait and see” mode.

What does appear more than likely is Velasquez and Werdum coaching opposite one another on the upcoming The Ultimate Fighter Latin America reality series.

Mendez also told UFC Tonight that Velasquez has been approached by the UFC about coaching the inaugural season of TUF Latin America, and that they are expected to begin filming in May.

Velasquez wasn’t told if he would be coaching opposite Werdum, but it would seem the likely choice, and Werdum has talked about the scenario as if it were already a done deal.

“It’s going to be a unique experience. I’ve been [on TUF] twice: once as Wanderlei Silva’s jiu-jitsu coach, and once as a head coach against ‘Minotauro’ [Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira],” Werdum told Sherdog.com recently. “Now, it’s going to be a lot different, since it’s not going to take place in a single country, but in almost every country in Latin America.”

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