Cain Velasquez

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Cain Velasquez
Born Cain Ramirez Velasquez
July 28, 1982 (1982-07-28) (age 29)
Salinas, California, U.S.
Nationality American
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight 249 lb (112.9 kg; 17.8 st)
Division Heavyweight
Reach 77 in (196 cm)
Fighting out of San Jose, California
Team American Kickboxing Academy
Trainer Head Trainer: Javier Mendez
Strategy Coach: Bob Cook
Jiu-Jitsu Coach: Dave Camarillo
Boxing Coach: Arturo "Huitzi" Mata
Wrestling Coach: Daniel Cormier
Rank Brown belt in Guerrilla Jiu Jitsu[1]
Wrestling NCAA Division I Wrestling
Years active 2006–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total 10
Wins 9
By knockout 8
By decision 1
Losses 1
By knockout 1
University Arizona State University
Iowa Central Community College
Spouse Michelle Velasquez
Children 1
Notable school(s) Kofa High School
Website Official website
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
last updated on: October 14, 2010

Cain Ramirez Velasquez[2] (born July 28, 1982) is a Mexican American mixed martial artist fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion.[3] He is a two-time All-American collegiate wrestler from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, and a Junior College National Champ at Iowa Central Community College.[4] He is a two-time 5A state champion in Arizona, compiling a record of 110–10 for Kofa High School in Yuma, Arizona.[5]

Contents

[edit] Early life

Velasquez, a Mexican-American[6] was born on July 28, 1982 in Salinas, California to Efrain and Isabel Velasquez. He has two siblings Adela and Efrain, Jr.[2]

He graduated from Kofa High School, where he compiled a record of 110–10 in four years of wrestling, including winning the 5A Arizona Wrestling Championship twice. Cain also played football for three years. As a senior, he served as Captain of both his wrestling and football teams.[2] After high school, he attended Iowa Central Community College, where he earned an Associates degree. He also wrestled for one season and won the NJCAA National Championship. After Iowa Central Community College, Cain graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor's degree in Education.[2] He wrestled there for three seasons and compiled a record of 86–17, placing 5th in the country in 2005, and 4th in 2006. While at ASU, Cain also wrestled alongside future UFC fighters Ryan Bader and C.B. Dollaway.[7]

[edit] Mixed martial arts career

Cain began his mixed martial arts career right after college, joining American Kickboxing Academy. Velasquez is a brown belt in Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu and a NCAA Division I Wrestler. He has notable wins over Cheick Kongo, Ben Rothwell, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Brock Lesnar.

[edit] Early career

Velasquez made his MMA debut on October 7, 2006 against Jesse Fujarczyk at Strikeforce: Tank vs. Buentello, he won by TKO in the first round. Velasquez then faced Jeremiah Constant at BodogFight: St. Petersburg, he won via TKO in the first round at the 4 minute mark.[8]

[edit] Ultimate Fighting Championship

Velasquez made his UFC debut against Brad Morris at UFC 83 and won due to strikes in the first round.[9] In his next fight, Velasquez defeated Jake O'Brien at UFC Fight Night 14 by TKO in round one.[10] Velasquez then faced Denis Stojnić at UFC Fight Night 17 and the fight was stopped in round two with Velasquez earning the victory by TKO. Velasquez also earned Knockout of the Night honors for his performance.[11] Velasquez's next fight was in UFC 99 against former kickboxer and established UFC heavyweight Cheick Kongo. Velasquez was once again dominant, landing 251 strikes and winning the bout by unanimous decision (30–27 on all cards).[12]

His next opponent was expected to be Shane Carwin[13] with the winner likely challenging for the UFC Heavyweight Championship held by Brock Lesnar. However that bout was scrapped[14] and Velasquez was instead told he would be fighting Ben Rothwell at UFC 104.[15][16] He defeated Rothwell by second round TKO.[17]

Velasquez faced former Pride Heavyweight Champion and former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on February 20, 2010 at UFC 110.[18] Going into the fight, some commentators predicted that Nogueira would take the victory due to a supposed lack of striking power for Velasquez.[19] They were proven wrong when Velasquez defeated Nogueira via first round knockout, earning Knockout of the Night honors.[19]

[edit] UFC Heavyweight Champion

Dana White announced via SportsNation that the UFC would be bringing back UFC Primetime to promote Lesnar vs. Velasquez.[20] Velasquez defeated Brock Lesnar for the UFC Heavyweight Championship via TKO in the first round, earning Knockout of the Night honors.[21]

Velasquez suffered a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder during his fight with Lesnar at UFC 121 and was expected to be sidelined for at least 6–8 months.[22] Surgery on the shoulder was successful and Velasquez planned to return as early as Fall 2011.[23]

Velasquez was expected to make his first title defense against Junior dos Santos, with a target date of November 19, 2011 at UFC 139,[24] but the fight was later moved to November 12, 2011 to headline the first UFC on Fox 1.[25]

Velasquez suffered his first, and to date, only loss via KO (punches) at 1 minute and 4 seconds of the first round at the hands of then title contender, Junior Dos Santos. Consequently, he lost the UFC heavyweight championship belt to Junior Dos Santos.

Velasquez is expected to face Frank Mir in the summer of 2012.[26]

[edit] Personal life

Velasquez speaks English and Spanish. He has been a guest star on the Spanish-language television networks Telemundo and Univision.[27] In addition to his Spanish-language TV appearances, he was also a featured guest on the TBS late night TV show, Lopez Tonight, starring George Lopez.[28]

Velasquez and his girlfriend, Michelle, welcomed a daughter on May 6, 2009.[29] The couple married on May 28, 2011.[30]

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

[edit] Mixed martial arts

  • Inside MMA
    • 2010 Fighter of the Year Bazzie Award
  • MMAFighting.com
    • 2010 Fighter of the Year
  • Sherdog
    • 2010 Fighter of the Year
    • 2010 All-Violence 1st Team

[edit] Collegiate wrestling

[edit] Mixed martial arts record

Result Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 9–1 Junior dos Santos KO (punches) UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 02011-11-12 November 12, 2011 1 1:04 Anaheim, California, United States Lost the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Win 9–0 Brock Lesnar TKO (punches) UFC 121 02010-10-23 October 23, 2010 1 4:12 Anaheim, California, United States Won the UFC Heavyweight Championship; Knockout of the Night.
Win 8–0 Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira KO (punches) UFC 110 02010-02-21 February 21, 2010 1 2:20 Sydney, Australia UFC Heavyweight title eliminator. Knockout of the Night.
Win 7–0 Ben Rothwell TKO (punches) UFC 104 02009-10-24 October 24, 2009 2 0:58 Los Angeles, California, United States
Win 6–0 Cheick Kongo Decision (unanimous) UFC 99 02009-06-13 June 13, 2009 3 5:00 Cologne, Germany
Win 5–0 Denis Stojnić TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night 17 02009-02-07 February 7, 2009 2 2:34 Tampa, Florida, United States Knockout of the Night.
Win 4–0 Jake O'Brien TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night 14 02008-07-19 July 19, 2008 1 2:02 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 3–0 Brad Morris TKO (punches) UFC 83 02008-04-19 April 19, 2008 1 2:10 Montreal, Quebec, Canada UFC Debut.
Win 2–0 Jeremiah Constant TKO (punches) Bodog Fight - Clash of the Nations 02006-12-16 December 16, 2006 1 4:00 Saint Petersburg, Russia
Win 1–0 Jesse Fujarczyk TKO (punches) Strikeforce: Tank vs. Buentello 02006-10-07 October 7, 2006 1 1:58 Fresno, California, United States Strikeforce Debut.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "CAIN VELASQUEZ HAS A BROWN BELT.". DstryrSG.com. 2010-12-22. http://www.dstryrsg.com/2010/12/cain-velasquez-has-brown-belt-you.html. Retrieved 2011-06-12. 
  2. ^ a b c d "Cain Velasquez Player Bio". THESUNDEVILS.CSTV.com. 2010-07-06. http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/velasquez_cain00.html. Retrieved 2010-07-06. 
  3. ^ Hatcher, Jason (2009-11-05). "Mexican American Prospect Cain Velasquez". Fighters. http://www.fighters.com/11/05/ufc-108-rodrigo-nogueira-to-take-on-mexican-american-prospect-cain-velasquez?submit_foot=f. Retrieved 2010-07-05. 
  4. ^ "Cain Velasquez: Searching For Aztec Gold". FIGHTMAGAZINE.com. 2010-01. http://www.fightmagazine.com/mma-magazine/mma-article.asp?aid=443&issid=32. Retrieved 2010-07-06. 
  5. ^ "Cain Velasquez: "I'm going to build my way up to the top"". FIVEOUNCESOFPAIN.com. 2009-02-04. http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2009/02/04/cain-velasquez-im-going-to-build-my-way-up-to-the-top. Retrieved 2010-10-03. 
  6. ^ ""UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez" main card officially announced for Oct. 23". MMAJUNKIE.com. 2010-08-16. http://mmajunkie.com/news/20296/ufc-121-lesnar-vs-velasquez-main-card-officially-announced-for-oct-23.mma. Retrieved 2010-10-03. 
  7. ^ "Cain Velasquez". WRESTLINGHALLOFFAME. 2010-10-03. http://www.wrestlinghalloffame.org/wrestlers.php?wrestler=12087. Retrieved 2010-10-03. 
  8. ^ "Bodog Fight – Clash of the Nations". http://www.sherdog.com/events/Bodog-Fight-Clash-of-the-Nations-4864. 
  9. ^ "Could Cain Velasquez Be the Future of the Heavyweight Division?". CAGEPOTATO.com. 2008-04-21. http://www.cagepotato.com/2008/04/21/could-cain-velasquez-be-the-future-of-the-heavyweight-division. Retrieved 2010-10-03. 
  10. ^ "Cain Velasquez vs. Jake O'Brien". SPIKE.com. 2008-07-19. http://www.spike.com/blog/cain-velasquez-vs/66706. Retrieved 2010-10-03. 
  11. ^ "UFC Fight Night 17: As expected Cain Velasquez beats Denis Stojnic". MMACRUNCH.com. 2009-02-08. http://www.mmacrunch.com/ufc-fight-night-17-as-expected-cain-velasquez-beats-denis-stojnic. Retrieved 2010-10-03. 
  12. ^ "Cheick Kongo got hit in the head 251 times by Cain Velasquez at UFC 99". URDIRT.com. 2009-06-16. http://urdirt.com/2009/06/16/cheick-kongo-got-hit-in-the-head-251-times-by-cain-velasquez-at-ufc-99. Retrieved 2010-10-03. 
  13. ^ Savage, Greg (2009-07-01). "Carwin-Velazquez Likely for UFC 104". Sherdog.com. http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Carwin-Velazquez-Likely-for-UFC-104-18288. Retrieved 2011-07-02. 
  14. ^ Helwani, Ariel (2009-08-20). "Shane Carwin vs. Cain Velasquez Off; Carwin to Challenge Lesnar for UFC Title". MMAFighting.com. http://www.mmafighting.com/2009/08/20/shane-carwin-vs-brock-lesnar-official-for-ufc-106. Retrieved 2011-07-02. 
  15. ^ McNeil, Franklin (2009-10-22). "Rothwell fight a blessing for Velasquez". ESPN.Go.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/mma/news/story?id=4577065. Retrieved 2011-07-02. 
  16. ^ Morgan, John (2009-08-20). "Cain Velasquez and Ben Rothwell set for heavyweight contest at UFC 104 in Los Angeles". MMAJunkie.com. http://mmajunkie.com/news/15923/cain-velasquez-vs-ben-rothwell-set-for-heavyweight-contest-at-ufc-104-in-los-angeles.mma. Retrieved 2011-07-02. 
  17. ^ Okamoto, Brett (2009-10-25). "Cain Velasquez impressive in win, may still have to wait for title shot". LasVegasSun.com. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/oct/25/cain-velasquez-impressive-win-may-still-have-wait-. Retrieved 2011-07-02. 
  18. ^ Knapp, Brian (2010-02-20). "Velasquez Stops Nogueira at UFC 110". Sherdog.com. http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Velasquez-Stops-Nogueira-at-UFC-110-22785. Retrieved 2011-07-02. 
  19. ^ a b "UFC 110 main card recap: Velasquez stuns Nogueira in first, Silva returns to win column". MMAJUNKIE.com. 2010-02-21. http://mmajunkie.com/news/18024/ufc-110-main-card-recap-velasquez-stuns-nogueira-in-first-silva-returns-to-win-column.mma. Retrieved 2010-10-03. 
  20. ^ "Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez UFC Primtime". MMAFighting.com. 2010-08-26. http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/8/25/1650475/via-sportsnation-chat-w-dana. 
  21. ^ "UFC 121 Results & Live Play-by-Play". Sherdog.com. 2010-10-23. http://www.cdn.sherdog.com/news/news/UFC-121-Results-amp-Live-Play-by-Play-27640. Retrieved 2010-10-27. 
  22. ^ "Trainer: UFC champ Velasquez out a minimum of 6–8 months with torn rotator cuff". MMAJunkie.com. 2010-12-29. http://mmajunkie.com/news/21892/trainer-ufc-champ-velasquez-out-a-minimum-of-6-8-months-with-torn-rotator-cuff.mma. 
  23. ^ "Injured UFC champ Cain Velasquez already back in the gym, return date TBD". MMAJunkie.com. 2011-01-17. http://mmajunkie.com/news/22122/injured-ufc-champ-cain-velasquez-already-back-in-the-gym-return-date-tbd.mma. 
  24. ^ "UFC flexes strong fall schedule with Velasquez defense". latimes.com.com. 2011-06-16. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/06/ufc-adds-more-muscle-to-fall-schedule-with-jon-jones-rampage-fight.html?dlvrit=53320. 
  25. ^ "Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos headlines UFC's debut on FOX". mmajunkie.com. September 2, 2011. http://mmajunkie.com/news/25064/xx-vs-xx-headlines-ufcs-debut-on-fox.mma. Retrieved September 2, 2011. 
  26. ^ "UFC boss says Mir vs. Velasquez in the works". mmajunkie.com. February 10, 2012. http://mmajunkie.com/news/27364/ufc-boss-says-mir-vs-velasquez-griffin-vs-ortiz-iii-in-the-works.mma. Retrieved February 10, 2012. 
  27. ^ "Cain Velasquez Brings a Little Bit of Bad-Ass to Latin Grammy Awards, Rothwell to Face Cro Cop in Australia?". CAGEPOTATO.com. 2009-11-05. http://www.cagepotato.com/cain-velasquez-brings-little-bit-bad-ass-latin-grammy-awards-rothwell-face-cro-cop-australia. Retrieved 2010-10-03. 
  28. ^ "Cain Velasquez Interviewed on the George Lopez Tonight Show". Mexican-American.org. 2010-10-25. http://mexican-american.org/videos/sports/cain-velasquez_george-lopez-tonight-show_UFC-121.html. Retrieved 2011-03-13. 
  29. ^ "Raising Cain: An MMAmania.com interview exclusive with Cain Velasquez". MMAMANIA.com. 2009-05-06. http://mmamania.com/2009/05/06/raising-cain-an-mmamaniacom-interview-exclusive-with-cain-velasquez. Retrieved 2009-05-10. 
  30. ^ "Cain Velasquez got married". Fightlinker.com. 2011-05-31. http://www.fightlinker.com/cain-velasquez-got-married. Retrieved 2011-05-31. 
  31. ^ a b Cain Velasquez. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Museum

[edit] External links

Achievements
Preceded by
Brock Lesnar		 15th UFC Heavyweight Champion
October 23, 2010 – November 12, 2011		 Succeeded by
Junior dos Santos
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