Commentary - Can Cain Velasquez Sit Back And Wait For His Title Shot?

Out with the old and in with the new. During those two years, the MMA community has welcomed in a new batch of advanced talent—future heavyweight ambassadors of the sport.

These physical specimens are hungry for success and the opportunity to revive the allure of watching men, as big as sheds, do battle that once captivated the public back in the early days of boxing. Greats like Ali, Frazier, Liston, Foreman, and Patterson once dominated the sports headline, time and time again.

We have entered a new dawning of combat sports. Boxing lost its legitimacy, along with its fanfare, years ago due to greed, corruption, and promoting tactics that make Enron CEO's look honest. The page has turned and sports fans are now paying hard-earned money to witness tomorrow's mixed martial arts headlines live on pay-per-view—ie "Cain Velasquez Decimates Legend Nogueira."

The name Velasquez, along with Dos Santos, Lesnar, Mir, and Carwin, represent the new breed of fighters over 205lbs making headlines with memorable octagon performances, sparking life into a rejuvenated division.

Just in the last year there have been plenty of plot twists in the UFC's heavyweight drama: the ongoing Lesnar/Mir soap opera, Brock's battle with diverticulitis, Dos Santos' destruction of Pride legend Mirko Cro-Cop, the interim title fight announcement…to name a few.

In the most recent episode, American Kickboxing Academy prodigy Cain Velasquez headlined UFC 110, the promotion's first event in Australia, against Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira in what was a precursor to his undeniable status as one of the best in the division.

The 27-year old Mexican-American outclassed Nogueira through and through with quickness and technical striking. He beat the Brazilian to every punch, getting off combos before Nogueira could think once about blocking or countering; his vicious leg kicks were thrown with perfect timing and powerful hip movement. The fight ended after "Big Nog" absorbed a left hook to his noggin, followed by a thunderous right that dropped him six under the canvas.

Once referee Herb Dean ended the match, after Nogueira's face was plastered with five more hard shots, the headlines started writing themselves as a new heavyweight force was born.

The question on many MMA enthusiasts' minds is: Does the UFC give Velasquez a shot at heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar now, let him wait until the winner of Mir/Carwin faces Lesnar, or keep having him take dangerous fights against top-tier competition that could threaten his contention status?

In a recent interview with Heavy.com's Jeremy Botter, Velasquez gave his own assessment of the situation by declaring that his time was now, but respected the fact that both Frank Mir and Shane Carwin earned a shot against Lesnar. Cain is a patient man who has no problem waiting for his shot at the title rather than risking the chance by taking another fight with a dangerous opponent.

"I think that for me, the best bet would be to wait. I think it's my time now, and I'm ready for it," Velasquez told Heavy.com. "That's what I want right now. That's the reason I got into the sport, to get a shot at the title, to fight for that top spot. I can wait."