Cain Velasquez
Cain Velasquez | |
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Born | Cain Ramirez Velasquez July 28, 1982 Salinas, California, United States |
Nationality | ![]() |
Height | 6 ft 1.5 in (1.87 m)[1] |
Weight | 244 lb (111 kg; 17.4 st)[2] |
Division | Heavyweight |
Reach | 77.0 in (196 cm) [3] |
Style | Wrestling, Kickboxing, Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
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: Huitsi Mata |
Rank | NCAA Division I Wrestler brown belt in Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu |
Years active | 2006–present (MMA) |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 9 |
Wins | 9 |
By knockout | 8 |
By decision | 1 |
Losses | 0 |
Other information | |
University | Arizona State University Iowa Central Community College |
Children | 1 |
Notable school(s) | Kofa High School |
Website | http://cainmma.com/ |
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Last updated on: October 14, 2010 |
Cain Ramirez Velasquez[4] (born July 28, 1982) is a Mexican American[5] mixed martial artist and the current UFC Heavyweight Champion.[6] He is a two-time All-American collegiate wrestler from Arizona State and a Junior College National Champ at Iowa Central Community College.[7] He is a two-time 5A state champion in Arizona, compiling a record of 110-10 for Kofa High School located in Yuma, Arizona under Shawn Rustad and Marty Niblo.[8]
As of October 27, 2010, he is ranked as the #1 heavyweight in the world by Sherdog[9] and MMAfighting.com.[10] Cain also has never lost a round in mixed martial arts competition.[11] Velasquez, who trains at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, CA, won the No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt championships roughly a year after starting submission grappling.[12] He currently holds a brown belt under Dave Camarillo. On October 23, 2010, Velasquez defeated Brock Lesnar via TKO in the first round at UFC 121 to become the new UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Early life
Velasquez was born on July 28, 1982 in Salinas, California to Efrain and Isabel Velasquez. Cain's father, Efrain, came to the United States illegally. Efrain met his wife Isabel, married Isabel and gained citizenship to the U.S.,[13] the couple had three children, Adela Garcia, Efrain Jr. Velasquez and Cain Velasquez.[4]
Cain 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.[4]
After Kofa, Cain 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.[4] 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.[14]
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.
Early career
Cain began his MMA career right after college, joining American Kickboxing Academy and made his 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.[15]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Velasquez made his UFC debut against Brad Morris at UFC 83 and won due to strikes in the first round.[16] In his next fight, Velasquez defeated Jake O'Brien at UFC Fight Night 14 by TKO in round one.[17] 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.[18] 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).[19]
Velasquez's next opponent was scheduled to be Shane Carwin[20] for the number one contendership of the UFC Heavyweight Championship held by Brock Lesnar. Velasquez was instead told he would be fighting Ben Rothwell at UFC 104. Velasquez was 7–0 after defeating Ben Rothwell at UFC 104 with a TKO at 0:58 of round 2.[21]
Velasquez faced former Pride Heavyweight Champion and former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on February 20, 2010 at UFC 110. Dana White had promised the winner a shot at the UFC Heavyweight Title after Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin's fight.[22] Going into the fight, some commentators predicted that Nogueira would take the victory due to a supposed lack of striking power for Velasquez.[23] They were proven wrong when Velasquez defeated Nogueira via knockout (punches) at 2:20 of round one. In doing so, Velasquez became the first man to defeat Nogueira by way of legitimate knockout, as opposed to TKO.
Winning the Heavyweight Championship
Dana White announced via SportsNation that the UFC would be bringing back UFC Primetime to promote Lesnar vs. Velasquez.[24] Velasquez defeated Brock Lesnar for the UFC Heavyweight Championship via TKO in the first round at UFC 121 on October 23, 2010. The bout opened with a bullrush by Lesnar, who charged at Velasquez with a series of knees but was unable to secure a takedown on his first attempt. Lesnar's second takedown placed Velasquez on his back, but he was able to stand up before sustaining any damage. Lesnar then pressed Velasquez against the fence and took him down again. However, Velasquez was on his feet within seconds. He then broke Lesnar's hold and after a brief exchange, shot a single on Lesnar and dropped him on all fours, where Velasquez was able to do significant damage to Lesnar. Lesnar stood up and backed away toward the fence and shortly thereafter, Velasquez clipped Lesnar on the chin with a left hook and sent him spinning across the Octagon. Velasquez then peppered Lesnar with shots, a powerful knee to the midsection, and another punch which dropped him. The rest of the fight played out in a very one-sided fashion, until referee Herb Dean stopped the bout at 4:12 of the first round, crowning Velasquez the new UFC Heavyweight Champion of the world.[25]
It was announced at the end of 2010, that Velasquez had suffered a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder and was expected to be sidelined for at least 6-8 months. The injury is expected to undergo a surgical repair and extensive therapy before a return to action is possible.[26]
Personal life
Velasquez speaks English and Spanish fluently and has been a guest star on the Spanish-language TV networks Telemundo and Univision.[27]
Velasquez and his girlfriend welcomed a daughter on May 6, 2009.[28] The couple got engaged in Australia after UFC 110.[29]
Championships and accomplishments
Collegiate wrestling
- Two-time All-American Div 1 NCAA Wrestler[30]
- 2002 NJCAA Collegiate Wrestling Heavyweight Championship while in Iowa Central Community College[14]
- Placed 5th place in the 2005 NCAA Division I Collegiate Championship at Heavyweight while in Arizona State University[14]
- Placed 4th place in the 2006 NCAA Division I Collegiate Championship at Heavyweight while in Arizona State University[14]
- 2005 Pac-10 Conference Wrestler of the Year[4]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Heavyweight Championship (1 time, current)
- Knockout of the Night Honors (3 times)
Awards
- MMAFighting.com
- 2010 Fighter of the Year[31]
Mixed martial arts record
9 matches | 9 wins | 0 losses |
By knockout | 8 | 0 |
By submission | 0 | 0 |
By decision | 1 | 0 |
Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 9–0 | ![]() |
TKO (Punches) | UFC 121:Lesnar vs. Velasquez | October 23, 2010 | 1 | 4:12 | ![]() |
UFC Heavyweight Championship. Knockout of the Night. |
Win | 8–0 | ![]() |
KO (Punches) | UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez | February 21, 2010 | 1 | 2:20 | ![]() |
Knockout of the Night |
Win | 7–0 | ![]() |
TKO (Punches) | UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun | October 24, 2009 | 2 | 0:58 | ![]() |
|
Win | 6–0 | ![]() |
Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 99: The Comeback | June 13, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | ![]() |
|
Win | 5–0 | ![]() |
TKO (Punches) | UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens | February 7, 2009 | 2 | 2:34 | ![]() |
Knockout of the Night |
Win | 4–0 | ![]() |
TKO (Punches) | UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Irvin | July 19, 2008 | 1 | 2:02 | ![]() |
|
Win | 3–0 | ![]() |
TKO (Punches) | UFC 83: Serra vs. St. Pierre II | April 19, 2008 | 1 | 2:10 | ![]() |
|
Win | 2–0 | ![]() |
KO (Punches) | Bodog Fight: St. Petersburg | December 16, 2006 | 1 | 4:00 | ![]() |
|
Win | 1–0 | ![]() |
TKO (Punches) | Strikeforce: Tank vs. Buentello | October 7, 2006 | 1 | 1:58 | ![]() |
See also
References
- ^ "Cain Velasquez". UFC.com. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
- ^ "Live Minute by Minute: UFC 104 Weigh-In". SHERDOG.com. 2009-10-23. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
- ^ "Cain Velasquez". FightMagazine.com. Retrieved 2010-11-08.
- ^ a b c d e "Cain Velasquez Player Bio". THESUNDEVILS.CSTV.com. 2010-07-06. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
- ^ ""UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez" main card officially announced for Oct. 23". MMAJUNKIE.com. 2010-08-16. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ Hatcher, Jason (2009-11-05). "Mexican American Prospect Cain Velasquez". Fighters. Retrieved 2010-07-05.
- ^ "Cain Velasquez: Searching For Aztec Gold". FIGHTMAGAZINE.com. 2010-01. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "Cain Velasquez: "I'm going to build my way up to the top"". FIVEOUNCESOFPAIN.com. 2009-02-04. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ "Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings: Heavyweight". SHERDOG.com. 2010-10-27. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
- ^ "MMA Top 10 Heavyweights: Cain Velasquez Is the Champ". MMAFIGHTING.com. 2010-10-26. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- ^ "Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings". SHERDOG.com. 2010-05-03. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ "Velasquez has chance to show he's real deal". YAHOO! SPORTS. 2010-07-14. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ "Cain Velasquez: Like Father, Like Son". LOWKICK.com. 2010-10-03. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ a b c d "Cain Velasquez". WRESTLINGHALLOFFAME. 2010-10-03. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ "Bodog Fight - Clash of the Nations".
- ^ "Could Cain Velasquez Be the Future of the Heavyweight Division?". CAGEPOTATO.com. 2008-04-21. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ "Cain Velasquez vs. Jake O'Brien". SPIKE.com. 2008-07-19. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ "UFC Fight Night 17: As expected Cain Velasquez beats Denis Stojnic". MMACRUNCH.com. 2009-02-08. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ "Cheick Kongo got hit in the head 251 times by Cain Velasquez at UFC 99". URDIRT.com. 2009-06-16. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ "Shane Carwin: "Brock Lesnar Is A Freaking Liar"". FIGHTLINE.com. 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
- ^ "Cain Velasquez vs. Ben Rothwell: UFC 104 results". INENTERTAINMENT.co.uk. 2009-10-25. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ "Nogueira vs. Velasquez now set for UFC 110". mmaweekly.com. Retrieved 2009-11-09. [dead link]
- ^ "UFC 110 main card recap: Velasquez stuns Nogueira in first, Silva returns to win column". MMAJUNKIE.com. 2010-02-21. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ "Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez UFC Primtime". MMAFighting.com. 2010-08-26.
- ^ "UFC 121 Results & Live Play-by-Play". SHERDOG.com. 2010-10-23. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
- ^ "Trainer: UFC champ Velasquez out a minimum of 6-8 months with torn rotator cuff". mmajunkie.com. 2010-12-29.
- ^ "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. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ "Raising Cain: An MMAmania.com interview exclusive with Cain Velasquez". MMAMANIA.com. 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-05-10.
- ^ "Cain Velasquez: I've Been Ready for Brock Lesnar for a While". MMAFIGHTING.com. 2010-03-01. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
- ^ "Wrestling Sits Sixth Behind Three Top 7 Finishers".
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "Fighter of the Year: Cain Velasquez". MMAFighting.com. December 22, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
External links
- American mixed martial artists
- Mixed martial artists from Arizona
- Mixed martial artists from California
- American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent
- Heavyweight mixed martial artists
- Arizona State University alumni
- People from Yuma, Arizona
- Living people
- American practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- 1982 births
- Ultimate Fighting Championship champions