Credit: MMA Frenzy

UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is known for being one of the hardest working fighters in the sport.

From the time Velasquez was signed by the UFC, expectations for the 28-year old were quite lofty. His trainer’s at American Kickboxing Academy proclaimed that Velasquez would one day become world champion before Cain had even competed in his first UFC bout.

Velasquez, through unmatched dedication and work in the gym, has lived up to those expectations and more. Velasquez, in only his ninth professional fight, demolished former champion Brock Lesnar in the first round at UFC 121 and claimed his status as the best heavyweight in the UFC.

Unfortunately, injuries slow down even the most accomplished fighters.

Following surgery on his torn rotator cuff, Velasquez is struggling with being unable to train like he is used to.

“I feel lost. I feel retired somehow, like I need to find a hobby,” the current heavyweight champion told MMAJunkie.

“I go to practice in the mornings, and after I’m there, I don’t know what to do. I’m hanging out more with my fiance, and we’re kind of driving each other crazy. We’re not used to it. It’s good for a while, but I’ve just got to be patient.”

Velasquez isn’t a guy that enjoys being unable to train. For now, though, he has to be patient and do what he can while he recovers from the injury suffered during the bout with Lesnar.

One thing he will be doing is paying close attention to the UFC 131 bout between Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos, expected for June 11. The winner of that bout will face Velasquez when he is able to return later this year.

Velasquez believes that there are a few simple things that both men must do in order to win the number one contenders fight.

“For me, it’s the initial closing the distance for Lesnar – how he’s going to deal with that. I know that Dos Santos is really good at keeping the distance (and) using his movement to throw his punches. For Brock, it’s closing the distance and getting that pressure, getting the takedown and keeping the takedown.”

Velasquez is expected to be able to return to training in August if all goes well during recovery.

UFC 131 is set to take place on June 11 in Vancouver following The Ultimate Fighter 13 featuring Lesnar and Dos Santos as coaches.