Cain Velasquez has signed a “lucrative, multi-year contract” with WWE, according to ESPN‘s Marc Raimondi.
WWE officially announced earlier today that Velasquez will be facing Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, October 31 (1 PM ET on WWE Network).
Velasquez has also informed the UFC that he is retiring from MMA competition, ESPN also reported. Velasquez has been removed from the USADA (US Anti-Doping Agency) drug-testing pool.
It was previously reported by Dave Meltzer that Velasquez will need to go in for knee surgery eventually. The surgery will happen after his match with Lesnar, but it’s not clear if it’ll be very soon after or if he’ll stick around for a while before undergoing the surgery, which is expected to keep him out for months.
Update: WWE confirmed the news.
BREAKING: As first reported by @espn's @marc_raimondi, @cainmma has officially retired from MMA and signed a multi-year deal with WWE.https://t.co/E8eeggUfGS
— WWE (@WWE) October 11, 2019
Eddie Kingston AEW Contract Update – Kingston Says He Has Six Years Remaining on His Current Deal
MJF’s AEW Abscense & Return Plans Update – MJF Expected to Return as Early as Next Week
AEW: MVP Says Bobby Lashley Suffered Injury, Andrade El Idolo Says WWE Will Let Him Wrestle in Puerto Rico But Unsure When He Can Make AEW Return, Swerve Strickland on Why He Changed His Entrance Theme from “Big Pressure” to “Hit Different”
![ROH Global Wars UK 2025 Taping Spoilers from Cardiff, Wales [Update]](https://www.tpww.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ROH-Global-Wars-UK-2025-540x304.jpg "ROH Global Wars UK 2025 Taping Spoilers from Cardiff, Wales [Update]")