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Cain Velasquez

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Cain Velasquez
BornCain Velasquez
(1982-07-28) July 28, 1982 (age 42)
Salinas, California, United States
NationalityAmerican
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1]
Weight240 lb (109 kg; 17 st 2 lb)
DivisionHeavyweight
Reach77.5 in (197 cm)
StyleWrestling, Kickboxing
Fighting out ofSan Jose, California
TeamAmerican Kickboxing Academy
TrainerMuay Thai: Javier Mendez
Strength: Joe Grosso
Jiu-Jitsu: Leandro Vieira
Boxing: Arturo Mata
Wrestling: Daniel Cormier
RankBrown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
WrestlingNCAA Division I Wrestling
Years active2006–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total13
Wins12
By knockout10
By decision2
Losses1
By knockout1
UniversityArizona State University
SpouseMichelle Borquez Velasquez
ChildrenCoral
Notable school(s)Kofa High School
WebsiteOfficial website
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Last updated on: December 30, 2012

Cain Velasquez (born July 28, 1982) is an American mixed martial artist fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a two-time and current UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is currently ranked the No. 1 heavyweight in the world by Sherdog.[2]

Early life

Cain Velasquez was born on July 28, 1982 in Salinas, California to Efrain and Isabel Velasquez. Efrain, who immigrated to the US illegally from Mexico and whose story inspires his son,[3] met and married American-born Isabel, which allowed him to attain US citizenship.[4] Velasquez has two siblings, Efrain, Jr., and Adela. He was raised in Yuma, Arizona.[5] 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. Velasquez also played football for three years. As a senior, he served as captain of both his wrestling and football teams. As a footballer, he played quarterback. [5]

After high school, he attended Iowa Central Community College, wrestling for one season and winning the NJCAA National Championship. Afterwards, Velasquez transferred to Arizona State University. He wrestled for the Sun Devils for three seasons and compiled a record of 86–17, placing 5th in the country in 2005, and 4th in 2006. While at ASU, Velasquez also wrestled alongside future UFC fighters Ryan Bader and C.B. Dollaway.[6]

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, Antonio Silva (twice), Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos.

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 faced then undefeated Jeremiah Constant at BodogFight: St. Petersburg, he won via TKO in the first round at the 4 minute mark.[7]

Cain made his UFC debut against Brad Morris at UFC 83 and won by TKO in the first round.

In his next fight, Cain defeated Jake O'Brien at UFC Fight Night 14 via TKO in round one.[8]

Cain 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 earned Knockout of the Night honors for his performance.[9]

Velasquez's next fight was at UFC 99 against former kickboxer and heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo. Velasquez was once again dominant, landing 251 strikes and winning the bout by unanimous decision (30–27 on all cards).[10]

His next opponent was expected to be Shane Carwin[11] with the winner likely challenging for the UFC Heavyweight Championship held by Brock Lesnar. However, that bout was scrapped[12] and Velasquez was instead told he would be fighting UFC newcomer Ben Rothwell at UFC 104.[13][14] He defeated Rothwell by second round TKO.[15]

Velasquez faced former Pride Heavyweight Champion and former Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on February 20, 2010 at UFC 110.[16] Going into the fight, some commentators predicted that Nogueira would take the victory due to a supposed lack of striking power for Velasquez.[17] They were proven wrong when Velasquez defeated Nogueira via first round KO, earning Knockout of the Night honors.[17]

UFC Heavyweight Champion

With his victory over Nogueira, Velasquez earned a UFC Heavyweight Championship fight with then-champ Brock Lesnar. UFC President Dana White announced via SportsNation that the UFC would be bringing back UFC Primetime to promote Lesnar vs. Velasquez.[18] Velasquez defeated Lesnar via TKO in the first round, earning Knockout of the Night honors.

Velasquez suffered a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder during his fight with Lesnar and was expected to be sidelined for at least six to eight months.[19] Surgery on the shoulder was successful and Velasquez planned to return as early as Fall 2011.[20]

Velasquez was expected to make his first title defense against Junior dos Santos, with a target date of November 19, 2011 at UFC 139,[21] but the fight was later moved to November 12, 2011 to headline the first UFC on Fox 1 event.[22]

Velasquez suffered his first loss via KO (punches) at 1 minute and 4 seconds of the first round at the hands of then title contender, Junior dos Santos. While not public information at the time, it was later revealed that Dos Santos already had a minor knee injury, and took an injection of cortisone into the knee before the fight, followed by information revealing that Velasquez had re-injured his rotator cuff approximately a week before the fight. However, Junior dos Santos had fought injured as well as it was revealed after the fight, he had a torn meniscus in his knee and would undergo knee surgery following the fight.[23]

Post title loss; Regaining the title

Velasquez was originally set to fight Frank Mir on May 26, 2012 at UFC 146.[24] However, Mir was moved up to face Junior dos Santos after Alistair Overeem was suspended for elevated testosterone levels. Velasquez instead faced Antonio Silva.[25] Velasquez defeated Silva via first round TKO, in a fight that saw Silva bleed profusely from his forehead. After the fight, Dana White strongly hinted that Velasquez would be the next fighter to challenge for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. It is widely thought that the reason White made the decision to have the rematch with Dos Santos at such an unexpected time, was because of the fact that both fighters were injured going into their first fight.[26]

A rematch was expected with Junior dos Santos on September 22, 2012 at UFC 152.[27] However, it was later announced by Dana White that the date for the rematch had been set to December 29 at UFC 155.[28] In the rematch, Velasquez defeated Dos Santos in a dominating performance[29] via a unanimous decision (50-45, 50-43, 50-44) to regain the UFC heavyweight title.[30][31] Velasquez became the first fighter in UFC history to post triple digits in significant strikes landed and double digits in takedowns landed in a single fight, landing 111 significant strikes and 11 takedowns in his second fight against Dos Santos. [32]

In his first title defense Velasquez faced Antonio Silva in a rematch on May 25, 2013 at UFC 160.[33] He won the fight via TKO due to punches at 1:21 of the first round. At the post-fight press conference, it was announced that Cain Velasquez would again face Junior Dos Santos to complete their trilogy.

Fighting style

Velasquez utilizes powerful and extremely swift punching combinations. He typically starts with a jab, follows up with a hard straight right, and then adds hooks and uppercuts as the fight progresses.[34] He is strong in the clinch, where he throws long combinations that typically end in a takedown.[34] His kicks are also some of the heaviest in his division.[34]

If Velasquez knocks his opponent to the ground during a fight, he often uses grappling skills to maintain a dominant position while he continues to strike from above.[34] He does not usually attempt to use chokes or locks, Velasquez has not scored any of his professional mixed martial arts wins via grappling submissions.[35] All of Velasquez's wins have either come by striking from punches, or by decision.[35]

Velasquez has also been praised consistently for his cardiovascular training; he has tremendous endurance, which allows him to continue to fight aggressively after his opponents have become exhausted.[34]

Personal life

Velasquez speaks English and Spanish. He has been a guest star on the Spanish-language television networks Telemundo and Univision.[36] 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.[37]

Velasquez and his wife, Michelle,[38] had a daughter on May 6, 2009. The couple married on May 28, 2011.[39][40]

At UFC 155, Cain mentioned at his post-fight interview that he wasn't able to celebrate Christmas with his family because of the preparation for his upcoming fight, then stated that the Heavyweight Title Belt is a Christmas gift for his wife.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
13 matches 12 wins 1 loss
By knockout 10 1
By submission 0 0
By decision 2 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 12–1 Brazil Antonio Silva TKO (punches) UFC 160 May 25, 2013 1 1:21 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Defended the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Win 11–1 Brazil Junior dos Santos Decision (unanimous) UFC 155 December 29, 2012 5 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Won the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Win 10–1 Brazil Antonio Silva TKO (punches) UFC 146 May 26, 2012 1 3:36 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 9–1 Brazil Junior dos Santos KO (punch) UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos November 12, 2011 1 1:04 Anaheim, California, United States Lost the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Win 9–0 United States Brock Lesnar TKO (punches) UFC 121 October 23, 2010 1 4:12 Anaheim, California, United States Won the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Knockout of the Night.
Win 8–0 Brazil Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira KO (punches) UFC 110 February 21, 2010 1 2:20 Sydney, Australia UFC Heavyweight title eliminator. Knockout of the Night.
Win 7–0 United States Ben Rothwell TKO (punches) UFC 104 October 24, 2009 2 0:58 Los Angeles, California, United States
Win 6–0 France Cheick Kongo Decision (unanimous) UFC 99 June 13, 2009 3 5:00 Cologne, Germany
Win 5–0 Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Stojnić TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens February 7, 2009 2 2:34 Tampa, Florida, United States Knockout of the Night.
Win 4–0 United States Jake O'Brien TKO (punches) UFC: Silva vs Irvin July 19, 2008 1 2:02 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 3–0 Australia Brad Morris TKO (punches) UFC 83 April 19, 2008 1 2:10 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win 2–0 United States Jeremiah Constant TKO (punches) BodogFight: St. Petersburg December 16, 2006 1 4:00 St. Petersburg, Russia
Win 1–0 United States Jesse Fujarczyk TKO (punches) Strikeforce: Tank vs. Buentello October 7, 2006 1 1:58 Fresno, California, United States

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Cain-Velasquez
  2. ^ "Sherdog's Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings". sherdog.com. December 31, 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  3. ^ Porcayo, Omar (2011-11-09). "Mexican-American UFC Champion Inspired By Immigrant Father". Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  4. ^ "Cain Velasquez: Like Father, Like Son". LOWKICK.com. 2010-10-03. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
  5. ^ a b "Cain Velasquez Player Bio". THESUNDEVILS.CSTV.com. 2010-07-06. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
  6. ^ "Cain Velasquez". Wrestling Hall of Fame. 2010-10-03. Archived from the original on 2010-07-06. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
  7. ^ "Bodog Fight – Clash of the Nations".
  8. ^ "Cain Velasquez vs. Jake O'Brien". SPIKE.com. 2008-07-19. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
  9. ^ "UFC Fight Night 17: As expected Cain Velasquez beats Denis Stojnic". MMACRUNCH.com. 2009-02-08. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
  10. ^ "Cheick Kongo got hit in the head 251 times by Cain Velasquez at UFC 99". URDIRT.com. 2009-06-16. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
  11. ^ Savage, Greg (2009-07-01). "Carwin-Velazquez Likely for UFC 104". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2011-07-02.
  12. ^ Helwani, Ariel (2009-08-20). "Shane Carwin vs. Cain Velasquez Off; Carwin to Challenge Lesnar for UFC Title". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved 2011-07-02.
  13. ^ McNeil, Franklin (2009-10-22). "Rothwell fight a blessing for Velasquez". ESPN.Go.com. Retrieved 2011-07-02.
  14. ^ Morgan, John (2009-08-20). "Cain Velasquez and Ben Rothwell set for heavyweight contest at UFC 104 in Los Angeles". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 2011-07-02.
  15. ^ Okamoto, Brett (2009-10-25). "Cain Velasquez impressive in win, may still have to wait for title shot". LasVegasSun.com. Retrieved 2011-07-02.
  16. ^ Knapp, Brian (2010-02-20). "Velasquez Stops Nogueira at UFC 110". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2011-07-02.
  17. ^ a b "UFC 110 main card recap: Velasquez stuns Nogueira in first, Silva returns to win column". MMAJUNKIE.com. 2010-02-21. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
  18. ^ "Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez UFC Primtime". MMAFighting.com. 2010-08-26.
  19. ^ "Trainer: UFC champ Velasquez out a minimum of 6–8 months with torn rotator cuff". MMAJunkie.com. 2010-12-29.
  20. ^ "Injured UFC champ Cain Velasquez already back in the gym, return date TBD". MMAJunkie.com. 2011-01-17.
  21. ^ "UFC flexes strong fall schedule with Velasquez defense". latimes.com.com. 2011-06-16.
  22. ^ "Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos headlines UFC's debut on FOX". mmajunkie.com. September 2, 2011. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  23. ^ Morgan, John; Marrocco, Steven (2011-11-13). "New UFC champ Junior Dos Santos fought with torn meniscus at UFC on FOX". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
  24. ^ "Cain Velasquez vs. Frank Mir title-eliminator added to UFC 146". mmajunkie.com. March 7, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  25. ^ "UFC 146: Cain Velasquez vs Antonio Silva booked for May 26 in Las Vegas". mmamania.com. April 22, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
  26. ^ "With UFC 146 wins, Junior Dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II on tap". mmajunkie.com. May 27, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
  27. ^ "Junior Dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II targeted for UFC 152 headliner". mmajunkie.com. June 9, 2012.
  28. ^ "Dos Santos-Velasquez by the numbers". espn.go.com. Dec 26, 2012.
  29. ^ Knapp, Brian (29 December 2012). "Cain Velasquez Bludgeons Junior dos Santos, Reclaims Heavyweight Crown at UFC 155". Sherdog. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  30. ^ "Cain Velasquez regains title". espn.go.com. Dec 30, 2012.
  31. ^ Martin, Todd (29 December 2012). "UFC 155: Cain Velasquez dominates Junior Dos Santos to regain title". LATimes.com. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  32. ^ "@cainmma Records First Triple-Double in UFC History". FightMetric.com. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  33. ^ Matt Erickson (2013-02-12). "Velasquez-Silva 2, Dos Santos-Overeem booked for UFC 160 in May". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-02-12.
  34. ^ a b c d e Richardson, Andrew (2012-12-24). "UFC 155 complete fighter breakdown, Cain Velasquez edition". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  35. ^ a b "Cain Velasquez - FightWiki". Mmalinker.com. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  36. ^ "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.
  37. ^ "Cain Velasquez Interviewed on Lopez Tonight". Mexican-American.org. 2010-10-25. Retrieved 2011-03-13.[dead link‍]
  38. ^ December 28, 2012. "VIDEO: Michelle Borquez Velasquez- MMA Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez' Wife (pics, bio, Wiki)". FabWags.com. Retrieved 2012-12-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  39. ^ "Cain Velasquez got married". Fightlinker.com. 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-05-31.
  40. ^ "Raising Cain: An MMAmania.com interview exclusive with Cain Velasquez". MMAMANIA.com. 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-05-10.
  41. ^ "MMAjunkie.com reader poll: Who is the 2010 Fighter of the Year?". MMAjunkie.com. 8 January 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  42. ^ Breen, Jordan (5 January 2013). "Sherdog.com's 2012 All-Violence Team". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  43. ^ a b Cain Velasquez. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Museum
Achievements
Preceded by 15th UFC Heavyweight Champion
October 23, 2010 – November 12, 2011 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Junior dos Santos
 17th UFC Heavyweight Champion
December 29, 2012 – Present 		Current holder

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