Trainer blames himself, altitude for Cain Velasquez's loss to Fabricio Werdum

Javier Mendez is ready to fall on his sword for Cain Velasquez.

The American Kickboxing Academy founder and head coach says he's to blame for Velasquez's loss to Fabricio Werdum at UFC 188, citing his inability to prepare the former champion for the high altitude of Mexico City.

"I screwed up," Mendez told TalkingBrawlsMMA, according to FOX Sports' Elias Cepeda.

"I screwed up the last time. The bottom line is it was my responsibility to prepare my fighter in the best possible way and that night I didn't. I failed at my job. Regardless of Cain saying it was his fault - it wasn't. It was my fault. It was my responsibility to look into the altitude and all that. I screwed up and I won't make that mistake again."

Famous for his excellent conditioning and unrelenting motor, Velasquez looked completely gassed early against Werdum. Meanwhile, the Brazilian, who spent months preparing for the bout in Mexico City, seemed to grow stronger as the minutes passed.

"One minute into it, he took Fabricio down then he gets up and I notice he was breathing pretty heavy and I'm like, 'Oh sh--,'" Mendez continued. "I knew there were problems right there. I've never seen that from him. I was very concerned going through the fight. He was in trouble the whole time. Nothing we were doing was working. His legs were gone. It was like Fabricio was Superman. 'Hit me with everything you got, he ain't hurting me.'"

With a rematch on the horizon in 2016, Mendez vows to properly prepare Velasquez for the newly minted heavyweight champion.

"Fabricio is a really, really good fighter and you can't make a mistake. Obviously, it showed. They didn't make mistakes and we made plenty," Mendez said.

"They did the work. That's what the fight game is all about. You've got to be prepared. He did his job. His coaches did their jobs. I didn't."