Cain Velasquez
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Cain Ramírez Velásquez (born July 28, 1982) is an American former
professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
and
mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
. He is widely known for his time in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
, where he competed in the
heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...
division and became a two-time
UFC Heavyweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
. In 2019, Velasquez retired from
mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...
. That same year, Velasquez embarked on a
professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
career, firstly working for the Mexican ''
lucha libre ''Lucha libre'' (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term for the style of professional wrestling originating in Mexico. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has develope ...
'' promotion
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide Promociones Antonio Peña, S.A. de C.V. doing business as, d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (commonly referred to as simply AAA, pronounced "Triple A" – an abbreviation of its original name Asistencia, Asesoría y Administración de Espectáculos ...
before moving to the American
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
promotion. In April 2020, he was released from his WWE contract due to budget cuts resulting from the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. In March 2022, he was charged with attempted murder and additional gun assault charges after engaging in a car chase and allegedly shooting at a man who was alleged to have molested Velasquez's 4-year-old son, missing the man and hitting the man's father instead. In March 2025, Velasquez was sentenced to five years in prison and four years of supervised probation.


Early life and education

Caín Velasquez was born in
Salinas, California Salinas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Salt pan (geology), Salt Flats") is a city in the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Monterey County, California, Monterey County. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is ...
, to Efraín and Isabel Velasquez. Efraín had moved to the U.S. from
Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...
,
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
as an illegal immigrant, where he met American-born Isabel. They started a relationship and later married, which allowed Efraín to attain
U.S. citizenship Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constit ...
. Velasquez has two older siblings: a brother named Efraín Jr. and a sister named Adela. He was raised in
Yuma, Arizona Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 95,548 at the 2020 census, up from the 2010 census population of 93,064. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, Metropolitan ...
. He graduated from
Kofa High School Kofa High School is a high school in Yuma, Arizona. It is one of seven high schools part of the Yuma Union High School District. It was the second high school to be established in the community. The school shares its name with the Kofa Mountai ...
where, in four years of wrestling, he compiled a record of 110–10 and won the 5A Arizona Wrestling Championship twice. Velasquez also played
American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
for three years. As a senior, he served as captain of both his wrestling and football teams. As a football player, he played linebacker. After high school, he attended
Iowa Central Community College Iowa Central Community College is a public community college in Fort Dodge, Iowa, with satellite campuses in Webster City and Storm Lake. History The college was organized in 1966 on the foundation of three area junior colleges which had been ...
, wrestling for one season (2001–02) and winning the
NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, State college (disambiguation), state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 sepa ...
National Championship in the heavyweight (285 lb limit) division. Afterwards, Velasquez transferred to
Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...
. 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 earning All-American status twice, Velasquez wrestled alongside future UFC fighters
Ryan Bader Ryan Bader ( ; born June 7, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division of RIZIN. He previously competed for Bellator MMA where he was the Bellator Heavyweight Champion, and still holds the record for th ...
and C.B. Dollaway. He graduated from ASU in 2006, earning a bachelor's degree in
interdisciplinary studies Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several fields such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, economi ...
. Growing up, Velasquez was a fan of
Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...
and
Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian martial artist and actor. Born and raised in Brussels, his father enrolled him in a Shotokan karate schoo ...
, stating, "I grew up watching ‘''
Kickboxer Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid martial art and boxing type based on punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and ...
'',’ and these were the movies I grew up watching. I was a big fan of Bruce Lee, big fan of Van Damme, and in the late 80s and 90s, he ruled the scene as far as fighting movies. They were classics for me, so to be part of it and go over there to do a fight scene (in '' Kickboxer: Vengeance''), that was awesome."


Mixed martial arts career


Early career

Velasquez began his mixed martial arts career right after college, joining
American Kickboxing Academy The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) is a mixed martial arts gym based in San Jose, California. It is one of the pioneering schools of mixed martial arts (MMA). In 2014, AKA opened the ''AKA Thailand'' gym in Phuket, Thailand. Prominent traine ...
. Velasquez is a brown belt in Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu under Dave Camarillo, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Leandro Vieira, and an NCAA Division I Wrestler. 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, winning via TKO in the first round. Velasquez made his UFC debut against Brad Morris at
UFC 83 ''UFC 83: Serra vs. St-Pierre 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event was held on April 19, 2008, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Background The event on this date was originally sc ...
and won by TKO in the first round. In his next fight, Velasquez defeated Jake O'Brien at UFC Fight Night 14 via TKO in round one. Velasquez then faced Denis Stojnić at
UFC Fight Night 17 ''UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 17'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on February 7, 2009. Background The main event was originally scheduled to be between ...
. Velasquez won by TKO in the second round and was awarded 'Knockout of the Night'' honors for his performance. Velasquez's next fight was at
UFC 99 ''UFC 99: The Comeback'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on June 13, 2009, in Cologne, Germany. Background This was the first UFC event held in Germany, as well as the first in mainland Europe (eve ...
against former kickboxer and heavyweight contender
Cheick Kongo Cheick Kongo (born May 17, 1975) is a French mixed martial artist and former kickboxer who fights in the Heavyweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2001, he has also competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Bellator. ...
. Velasquez was once again dominant, landing 251 strikes and winning the bout by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, and 30–27). His next opponent was expected to be
Shane Carwin Shane Bannister Carwin (born January 4, 1975) is an American former mixed martial artist who competed in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is considere ...
with the winner likely challenging for the
UFC Heavyweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight clas ...
held by
Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...
. However, that bout was scrapped and Velasquez was instead told he would be fighting UFC newcomer
Ben Rothwell Ben Rothwell (born October 17, 1981) is an American mixed martial artist and bare-knuckle boxer who competes as a Heavyweight and is the current BKFC Heavyweight World Champion. He most notably had a 17 bout stint in the Ultimate Fighting C ...
at
UFC 104 ''UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on October 24, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Background As with UFC 103, the UFC announced a portion of the preliminary card would ...
. He defeated Rothwell by second-round TKO. Velasquez faced former Pride Heavyweight Champion and former Interim
UFC Heavyweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (, born 2 June 1976), better known as Minotauro or Big Nog, is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Inter ...
on February 20, 2010, at
UFC 110 ''UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on Sunday, February 21, 2010 in Sydney, Australia, at Acer Arena. The event marked the UFC's first trip to Australia. The main ca ...
. Going into the fight, some commentators predicted that Nogueira would take the victory due to a supposed lack of striking power for Velasquez. Velasquez defeated Nogueira via first-round KO, earning ''Knockout of the Night'' honors.


UFC Heavyweight Champion

With his victory over Nogueira, Velasquez earned a
UFC Heavyweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight clas ...
fight with then-champion
Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...
at
UFC 121 ''UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 23, 2010, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, United States. The event was the fourth time the UFC hosted at the Hond ...
. UFC brought back '' UFC Primetime'' to promote Lesnar vs. Velasquez. Velasquez defeated Lesnar via TKO in the first round, earning ''Knockout of the Night'' honors. Velasquez suffered a torn
rotator cuff The rotator cuff (SITS muscles) is a group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the human shoulder and allow for its extensive range of motion. Of the seven scapulohumeral muscles, four make up the rotator cuff. The four muscles a ...
in his right shoulder during his fight with Lesnar and was expected to be side-lined for at least six to eight months. Surgery on the shoulder was successful and Velasquez planned to return as early as Fall 2011. Velasquez was expected to make his first title defense against
Junior dos Santos Junior dos Santos (; born 30 January 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and current Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA Heavyweigh ...
, with a target date of November 19, 2011, at
UFC 139 ''UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 19, 2011 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. It was the first UFC event in San Jose, the longtime home and base ar ...
, but the fight was later moved to November 12, 2011, to headline the first
UFC on Fox 1 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The large ...
event. Velasquez lost via KO (punches) at 1 minute and 4 seconds of the first round. It was later revealed that Dos Santos had a minor knee injury (a
torn meniscus A tear of a meniscus is a rupturing of one or more of the fibrocartilage strips in the knee called menisci. When doctors and patients refer to "torn cartilage" in the knee, they actually may be referring to an injury to a meniscus at the top of ...
) and took an injection of cortisone into the knee before the fight. This was followed by the revelation that Velasquez had reinjured his
rotator cuff The rotator cuff (SITS muscles) is a group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the human shoulder and allow for its extensive range of motion. Of the seven scapulohumeral muscles, four make up the rotator cuff. The four muscles a ...
approximately a week before the fight. Junior dos Santos had knee surgery following the fight. Velasquez was originally set to fight
Frank Mir Francisco Santos Miranda III (; born May 24, 1979), is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division. He competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for sixteen years, and Bellator MMA. A former UFC Heavywe ...
on May 26, 2012, at
UFC 146 ''UFC 146: dos Santos vs. Mir'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event (PPV) promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on May 26, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card featured five MMA bouts ...
. However, Mir was moved up to face Junior dos Santos after
Alistair Overeem Alistair Cees Overeem (born 17 May 1980) is a Dutch former professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He is a former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Heavyweight Champion, K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, and was the first fight ...
was suspended for elevated testosterone levels. Velasquez instead faced Antônio Silva. 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 White made the decision to have the rematch with Dos Santos at such an unexpected time as both fighters were injured going into their first fight. A rematch with dos Santos was expected to take place on September 22, 2012, at
UFC 152 ''UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort '' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 22, 2012, at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Background Rory MacDonald was expected to face fo ...
. However, the date for the rematch was later set for
UFC 155 ''UFC 155: dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 29, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background A Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez rematch ...
. In the rematch, Velasquez defeated Dos Santos in a dominant performance via unanimous decision (50–45, 50–43, and 50–44) to regain the UFC heavyweight title. 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 eleven takedowns. In his first title defense, Velasquez faced Antônio Silva in a rematch on May 25, 2013, at
UFC 160 ''UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on May 25, 2013, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main event was a rematch between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and Ant ...
. Velasquez won via TKO in the first round. A rubber match with Junior dos Santos took place at
UFC 166 ''UFC 166: Velasquez vs. dos Santos III'' was a mixed martial arts event held on October 19, 2013, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Background The main event was a UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between the current champion Cain Velasq ...
on October 19, 2013, in Houston, Texas. Velasquez TKO at 3:09 of the fifth round, successfully defending his title. On April 29, 2014, the UFC selected Velasquez and
Fabrício Werdum Fabrício Werdum (; born 30 July 1977) is a Spanish-Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is also a 4-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, a two-time Abu Dhabi Comba ...
as coaches for the inaugural installment of '' The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America'', with the two expected to face each other on November 15, 2014, at
UFC 180 ''UFC 180: Werdum vs. Hunt'' was a mixed martial arts event held on November 15, 2014, at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico. Background The event was the first the organization hosted in Mexico and was so popular that all 21,000 tic ...
. However, on October 21, 2014, Velasquez pulled out of the bout due to a torn meniscus and sprained MCL in his right knee, and was replaced by
Mark Hunt Mark Hunt (born 23 March 1974) is a New Zealand former professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. As a mixed martial artist, Hunt competed in Pride Fighting Championships (Pride FC) from 2004 until 2006, and the Ultimate Fighting Champi ...
. On October 23, 2014, Velasquez underwent successful surgery to repair his torn meniscus. A rescheduled bout with UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion
Fabrício Werdum Fabrício Werdum (; born 30 July 1977) is a Spanish-Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is also a 4-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, a two-time Abu Dhabi Comba ...
took place on June 13, 2015, at
UFC 188 ''UFC 188: Velasquez vs. Werdum'' was a mixed martial arts event held on June 13, 2015, at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico. Background The event was headlined by a UFC Heavyweight Championship unification bout between current cham ...
. In a back-and-forth affair, Velasquez lost the fight via guillotine choke submission in the third round. Velasquez would later admit that he had not adequately prepared for the fight, held in
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
which sits at an altitude of 7,300 feet, as he had only moved his camp to elevation two weeks before the day of the card. In contrast, Werdum had spent more than a month in Mexico City to get used to the higher altitude.


Post-title loss, injuries, hiatus, and retirement

A rematch with Werdum was expected to take place on February 6, 2016, at
UFC Fight Night 82 ''UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs. Thompson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 82'') was a mixed martial arts event held on February 6, 2016, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was originally billed as ''UFC 19 ...
until both fighters backed out citing injuries. Velasquez next faced
Travis Browne Travis Kuualiialoha Browne (born July 17, 1982) is a retired American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who last competed as a heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Browne was born in ...
on July 9, 2016, at
UFC 200 ''UFC 200: Tate vs. Nunes'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 9, 2016, at the T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It was the final UFC event under the ownership of ...
. He won the fight via TKO in the closing seconds of the first round. The rematch against Werdum was rescheduled and expected to take place on December 30, 2016, at
UFC 207 ''UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) held on December 30, 2016, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Background The even ...
. However, the Nevada State Athletic Commission failed to approve Velasquez to fight, determining after physical examinations and interviews that he was unfit to compete due to
bone spurs An exostosis, also known as a osteochondroma, is a benign chondrogenic lesions derived from aberrant cartilage from the perichondral ring. Exostoses can cause chronic pain ranging from mild to moderate, but rarely severe, depending on the shape, s ...
on his back. As the first fight of his new, four-fight contract, Velasquez headlined UFC's inaugural event on ESPN,
UFC on ESPN 1 ''UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Velasquez'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 1'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on February 17, 2019 at Talking Stick Resort Arena, now known as Footprint Center ...
against
Francis Ngannou Francis Zavier Ngannou (born 5 September 1986) is a Cameroonian and French professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer who currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where he is the in ...
on February 17, 2019. He lost the fight via knockout less than thirty seconds into round one. On October 4, 2019, after Velasquez's first appearance for the
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
, it was revealed that Velasquez would be withdrawing from the
USADA The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA, ) is a non-profit, non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization and the national anti-doping organization (NADO) for the United States. To protect clean competition and the integrity of sport and prevent ...
testing pool to focus on his professional wrestling career. Velasquez announced his retirement from MMA on October 11, 2019.


Fighting style

Velasquez has a style that could be described as "swarming". He moves forward constantly, giving opponents very little room to land clean strikes, all while utilizing 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. He is strong in the clinch, where he throws long combinations that typically end in a takedown. 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. He does not usually attempt submissions. His wins have come either by striking from punches or by decision. Velasquez was often praised for his cardiovascular training; he had tremendous endurance that allowed him to continue to fight aggressively after his opponents became exhausted, earning him the nickname "Cardio Cain". Velasquez's strong cardio also allowed him to throw more strikes. As of July 2013, he was ranked Number 1 for the most strikes landed per minute in the UFC.


Professional wrestling career


Background (2018)

Velasquez has been a fan of
professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
since he was young. On July 19, 2018, it was reported that he trained in the
WWE Performance Center WWE Performance Center (WWE PC) is a group of professional wrestling schools owned by American company WWE. They serve as tryout and training facilities for WWE, and also contain sports science and medical facilities as well as live events and ...
under head coach
Norman Smiley Norman Anthony Smiley (born 28 February 1965) is an English-American retired professional wrestler who is signed to WWE in a Legends deal and as a trainer for NXT. He is best known for his appearances with the Mexican promotion Consejo Mund ...
and later attended
Diamond Dallas Page } Dallas Page (born Page Joseph Falkinburg Jr., April 5, 1956), is an American fitness instructor, actor, and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract, under the ring name Di ...
's yoga session. He had attended an NXT event the previous night.


Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (2019)

In March 2019, Velasquez signed a multi-match agreement with Mexican professional wrestling promotion
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide Promociones Antonio Peña, S.A. de C.V. doing business as, d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (commonly referred to as simply AAA, pronounced "Triple A" – an abbreviation of its original name Asistencia, Asesoría y Administración de Espectáculos ...
as a heavyweight competitor. Velasquez made his debut for the promotion at
Triplemanía XXVII Triplemanía XXVII was a professional wrestling event produced and scripted by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). The event took place on August 3, 2019, at the Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Me ...
in a ''trios'' match, teaming with
Cody Rhodes Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (born June 30, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. As of April 2022, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. He is also known for co-fou ...
and
Psycho Clown Psycho Clown (born December 16, 1985) is the ring name of a Mexican '' luchador'' '' enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler, signed to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). Psycho Clown's real name is not a matter of public record, as is often ...
to face
Texano Jr Juan Aguilar Leos (born July 31, 1984) is a Mexican ''Lucha Libre, luchador'', or Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, who is known by the ring name Texano Jr. Aguilar is the son of Juan Conrado Aguilar Jáuregui, who wrestled under t ...
,
Taurus Taurus is Latin for 'bull' and may refer to: * Taurus (astrology), the astrological sign ** Vṛṣabha, in vedic astrology * Taurus (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac * Taurus (mythology), one of two Greek mythological ch ...
, and
Killer Kross Kevin Robert Kesar (born July 19, 1985) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Karrion Kross. Prior to his time at WWE, Kesar performed for Impact Wrestling, Lucha Libre ...
. Velasquez's debut surprised many fans, as he donned a ''luchador'' mask throughout the whole match and displayed many athletic moves, such as using a
hurricanrana Professional wrestling throws are the application of professional wrestling techniques that involve lifting the opponent up and throwing or slamming them down. They are sometimes also called "power" maneuvers, as they are meant to emphasize a wrest ...
. Velasquez picked up the victory for his team by submitting Texano Jr. with a
Kimura lock An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armpit lock is very useful; it will immobilize an opponent and pin them on the ground. An armlock tha ...
. Velasquez's in-ring debut received positive reviews by the ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four Wee ...
s
Dave Meltzer David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist, author, and historian who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter' ...
and many other professional wrestling journalists, as well as other professional wrestlers and Velasquez's
American Kickboxing Academy The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) is a mixed martial arts gym based in San Jose, California. It is one of the pioneering schools of mixed martial arts (MMA). In 2014, AKA opened the ''AKA Thailand'' gym in Phuket, Thailand. Prominent traine ...
teammate
Daniel Cormier Daniel Ryan Cormier (; born March 20, 1979) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, freestyle wrestler, and current color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As a former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweig ...
. Velasquez competed in his second and final AAA match at
Lucha Invades NY Lucha Invades NY was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced and scripted by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), in partnership with Impact Wrestling. The event took place on September ...
, where he teamed with
Brian Cage Brian Christopher Joseph ButtonRey Escorpión Fabián Núñez Napoles (born January 20, 1979) is a Mexican '' luchador'' (professional wrestler), better known by the ring name Rey Escorpión. He is currently working for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), where he portrays a ''rudo'' or bad g ...
, Texano Jr., and Taurus.


WWE (2019–2020)

On October 4, 2019, on the first episode of ''
SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
'' on ''
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
'', which was also the show's 20th Anniversary, Velasquez made his WWE debut, accompanied by
Rey Mysterio Óscar Gutiérrez Rubio (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Widely regarded as both one of the greatest '' luch ...
, coming out to confront and eventually attack
Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...
after his
WWE Championship The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown bran ...
victory as a measure of revenge for Lesnar attacking Mysterio and his son,
Dominik Dominic, Dominik or Dominick is a male given name common among Roman Catholics and other Latin-Romans. Originally from the late Roman-Italic name "Dominicus", its translation means "Lordly", "Belonging to God" or "of the Master". The most promi ...
, earlier in the week. Velasquez took Lesnar down and pummeled him with punches before Lesnar escaped the ring and retreated. Velasquez then was scheduled to face Lesnar at Crown Jewel for the WWE Championship on October 31, which Velasquez lost. Following the match, Lesnar attacked Velasquez with a steel chair and delivered an F-5 onto another steel chair, before Mysterio intervened and saved him. In January 2020, WWE had planned to use Velasquez at their
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
event, but he suffered an injury and the idea was scrapped. On April 28, 2020, Velasquez was released from his WWE contract due to budget cuts resulting from the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.


Return to AAA (2021, 2022)

On October 9, 2021, it was announced that Velasquez would be returning to AAA in December. Nine days later on October 18, it was announced that Velasquez would team with
Psycho Clown Psycho Clown (born December 16, 1985) is the ring name of a Mexican '' luchador'' '' enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler, signed to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). Psycho Clown's real name is not a matter of public record, as is often ...
and Pagano to face '' Los Mercenarios'' (
Rey Escorpión Fabián Núñez Napoles (born January 20, 1979) is a Mexican '' luchador'' (professional wrestler), better known by the ring name Rey Escorpión. He is currently working for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), where he portrays a ''rudo'' or bad g ...
and
Taurus Taurus is Latin for 'bull' and may refer to: * Taurus (astrology), the astrological sign ** Vṛṣabha, in vedic astrology * Taurus (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac * Taurus (mythology), one of two Greek mythological ch ...
) and a mystery partner at Triplemanía Regia II. At the event, Velasquez's team defeated Escorpión, Taurus, and L.A. Park. On December 3, 2022, Velasquez made his return to AAA, teaming with Pagano and Blue Demon Jr. to defeat ''La Empresa'' (
Sam Adonis Samuel Elias Polinsky (born August 9, 1989) is an American professional wrestler and promoter, performing on the independent circuit and for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) under the ring name Sam Adonis. Adonis formerly worked in Mexico's (CMLL ...
and Gringo Loco) and Taurus at an event held at the
Mullett Arena Mullett Arena (originally ASU Multi-Purpose Arena) is an indoor multipurpose arena at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. The 5,000-seat arena is the home of the Arizona State Sun Devils men's ice hockey, men's ice hockey, Arizona State ...
on the campus of his alma mater
Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...
.


Personal life

Velasquez speaks English and Spanish. He has been a guest star on the Spanish-language television networks
Telemundo Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. It provides content ...
and
Univision Univision () is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television, free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the L ...
, as well as Mexico's Televisa Deportes. In addition to his Spanish-language TV appearances, he was also a featured guest on the TBS late night show ''
Lopez Tonight ''Lopez Tonight'' is an American late-night television talk show that was hosted by the comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican-American to host a late-ni ...
''. Velasquez is known for sporting a prominent "Brown Pride" tattoo on his upper chest. He says this tattoo is a tribute to his Mexican heritage. Velasquez and his wife Michelle have a daughter born in 2009 and a son born in 2018. The couple married on May 28, 2011. He lives in
San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...
.


Attempted murder conviction

On February 28, 2022, Velasquez shot at a man in
Santa Clara County, California Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring Sa ...
, and hit an unintended victim. The man whom Velasquez allegedly intended to shoot, Harry Goularte Jr., had been arrested prior to the shooting for allegedly committing
child sexual abuse Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in Human sexual activity, sexual activit ...
on Velasquez's son at a daycare owned by Goularte's family, and was later released from custody on a personal recognizance
bond Bond or bonds may refer to: Common meanings * Bond (finance), a type of debt security * Bail bond, a commercial third-party guarantor of surety bonds in the United States * Fidelity bond, a type of insurance policy for employers * Chemical bond, t ...
. An armed Velasquez chased after a vehicle that contained Goularte Jr., his stepfather, and mother. Velasquez rammed the vehicle with his own before pulling out his firearm, shooting at the man through the window and missing, instead hitting the man's stepfather and causing him non-life threatening injuries. Velasquez was later arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County jail on an attempted
first-degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse ...
charge. In court on March 2, Velasquez was formally charged with one count of attempted first-degree murder, as well as several additional charges including one count of shooting at a motor vehicle, three counts of assault with a firearm, three counts of
assault with a deadly weapon In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result i ...
, one count of willfully discharging a firearm from a vehicle, and one count of carrying a loaded firearm with
intent An intention is a mental state in which a person commits themselves to a course of action. Having the plan to visit the zoo tomorrow is an example of an intention. The action plan is the ''content'' of the intention while the commitment is the '' ...
to commit a felony. On March 7, Velasquez was denied
bail Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Court bail may be offered to secure the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when ...
after the judge determined the "risk is too great" for Velasquez to potentially cause more issues to the public. Velasquez's lawyer,
Mark Geragos Mark John Geragos (born October 5, 1957) is an American criminal defense lawyer and the managing partner of Geragos & Geragos, in Los Angeles. Early life and education Geragos was born in Los Angeles, California, where he attended Flintridge ...
, presented 37 letters of support for Velasquez from people such as
Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at . Out ...
,
Khabib Nurmagomedov Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov (born 20 September 1988) is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He was the longest-rei ...
,
Fabricio Werdum Fabricio () is a Spanish male given name. Fabrício () is the Portuguese equivalent. Among those with the first name are: * Fabricio Agosto (born 1987), Spanish footballer * Fabricio Bustos (born 1996), Argentine footballer * Fabricio Coloccini (bo ...
,
Kelvin Gastelum Kelvin Gastelum (born October 24, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Gastelum earned a contract with the UFC after winning '' The ...
,
Henry Cejudo Henry Carlos Cejudo (born February 9, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC ...
,
Daniel Cormier Daniel Ryan Cormier (; born March 20, 1979) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, freestyle wrestler, and current color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As a former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweig ...
,
Cung Le Cung Le (; born May 25, 1972) is an American actor, former professional mixed martial artist, Sanshou fighter and kickboxer. Le is perhaps best known in mixed martial arts for competing in Strikeforce, holding a record of 7–1 with the organi ...
,
Islam Makhachev Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev (; born 27 October 1991) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist and former sambo competitor. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the cu ...
and
Scott Coker Scott Coker (born October 3, 1962) is an American mixed martial artist, Taekwondoin, former movie stuntman, and combat sports promoter. He is the founder and former CEO of MMA promotion Strikeforce, former president of Bellator MMA, and founder o ...
. On April 12, 2022, the judge granted continuance until May 6 for a plea hearing. In the May 6 plea hearing, the second continuance was granted, pushing the hearing back to June 10. On May 16, Velasquez was denied bail a second time, with the judge citing his "reckless disregard for human life". At the June 10 plea hearing, a third continuance was requested by both parties due to discovery issues, and after being accepted by the prosecutor, the hearing was rescheduled for June 30. On July 20, Velasquez's attorney filed a petition in the 6th District Court of Appeal, asking him to be immediately released on bond or expedited hearing in the
superior court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civil ...
. In the August 5 motion hearing Velasquez pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was then scheduled to appear at a pre-trial hearing on September 26. After being incarcerated for eight months, Velasquez was granted $1 million bail on November 8. His bail was posted and Velasquez was released from custody the next day. As per the condition of his bail, Velasquez was placed under
house arrest House arrest (also called home confinement, or nowadays electronic monitoring) is a legal measure where a person is required to remain at their residence under supervision, typically as an alternative to imprisonment. The person is confined b ...
until the conclusion of his trial. On November 22, Velasquez was granted permission from the court to travel to
Tempe, Arizona Tempe ( ; ''Oidbaḍ'' in O'odham language, O'odham) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2020 population of 180,587. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in t ...
, to partake in a
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide Promociones Antonio Peña, S.A. de C.V. doing business as, d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (commonly referred to as simply AAA, pronounced "Triple A" – an abbreviation of its original name Asistencia, Asesoría y Administración de Espectáculos ...
professional wrestling event. Per the court, Velasquez was allowed to be without his ankle monitoring device while performing in-ring, but he was to be monitored by police throughout the course of his travel. On December 3, Velasquez participated in the Tempe event, winning his return match. The trial date was set for September 9, 2024, in Santa Clara County, California. On August 16, 2024, Velasquez pleaded
no contest ''Nolo contendere'' () is a type of legal plea used in some jurisdictions in the United States. It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. It is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an ...
to all charges. Velasquez's sentencing hearing was initially scheduled for October 18, but was later pushed back to March 24, 2025. At the March 24 sentencing hearing, Velasquez was sentenced to five years in prison and four years of supervised probation. With time served in county jail and under house arrest being credited, Velasquez will be eligible for parole beginning in March 2026.


Civil lawsuit against Goularte

On June 29, 2022, news surfaced that a civil lawsuit against Harry Goularte Jr. was filed on behalf of Velasquez's son, claiming that Goularte sexually molested him. The lawsuit was filed also against Goularte's mother and stepfather who operate the child-care business where the alleged sexual abuse took place. The first hearing for the lawsuit took place on September 6, 2022. In June 2022, Goularte pleaded not guilty to related criminal charges, and after multiple continuations during the following year, the trial-setting hearing was set to take place on August 30, 2023. On October 18, 2024, it was reported that Goularte's next trial hearing was scheduled for November 13, 2024.


Championships and accomplishments


Mixed martial arts

*
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
**
UFC Heavyweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight clas ...
(Two times) ***Two successful title defenses ** Knockout of the Night (Three times) vs. Denis Stojnić,
Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (, born 2 June 1976), better known as Minotauro or Big Nog, is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Inter ...
, and
Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...
** Performance of the Night (One time) vs.
Travis Browne Travis Kuualiialoha Browne (born July 17, 1982) is a retired American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who last competed as a heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Browne was born in ...
**Tied (
Junior Dos Santos Junior dos Santos (; born 30 January 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and current Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA Heavyweigh ...
&
Francis Ngannou Francis Zavier Ngannou (born 5 September 1986) is a Cameroonian and French professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer who currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where he is the in ...
) for second most knockouts in UFC Heavyweight division history (10) **Second most takedowns landed in UFC Heavyweight division history (34) **Third most total strikes landed in UFC Heavyweight division history (1465) **Tied (
Andrei Arlovski Andrei Arlovski (, born 4 February 1979) is a Belarusian-American professional mixed martial artist and actor. A former UFC Heavyweight Champion, he competed in the heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and holds th ...
&
Ciryl Gane Ciryl Romain Jacky Gane (born April 12, 1990) is a French professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai fighter. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interi ...
) for second longest win streak in UFC Heavyweight division history (7) **Fourth most title fight wins in UFC Heavyweight division history (4) **Tied (
Andrei Arlovski Andrei Arlovski (, born 4 February 1979) is a Belarusian-American professional mixed martial artist and actor. A former UFC Heavyweight Champion, he competed in the heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and holds th ...
,
Alistair Overeem Alistair Cees Overeem (born 17 May 1980) is a Dutch former professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He is a former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Heavyweight Champion, K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, and was the first fight ...
&
Derrick Lewis Derrick James Lewis (born February 7, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he currently holds the record for most knockouts i ...
) for second most knockdowns landed in UFC Heavyweight division history (10) ** Tied (
Derrick Lewis Derrick James Lewis (born February 7, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he currently holds the record for most knockouts i ...
) for most knockouts stemming from ground strikes in UFC history (8) **UFC.com Awards ***2008: Ranked #2 Newcomer of the Year ***2009: Ranked #7 Fighter of the Year ***2010:
Knockout of the Year '' The Ring'' magazine was established in 1922 and has named a Knockout of the Year since 1989, based on the magazine's writers' criteria. Knockouts of the Year by decade 1980s * 1989: Michael Nunn ''KO 1'' Sumbu Kalambay see Michael Nunn v ...
, Ranked #2 Fighter of the Year & Ranked #7 Knockout of the Year ***2012: Ranked #5 Fighter of the Year ***2013: Ranked #7 Fighter of the Year *
Sherdog Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...
**2010 Fighter of the Year **2010 All-Violence 1st Team **2012 All-Violence 1st Team **2013 All-Violence 1st Team *
MMA Live ''MMA Live'' was a sports show about mixed martial arts. It was seen on ESPN2. The show featured analysts such as Franklin McNeil, Pat Miletich, and others. ''MMA Live'' was originally an Internet show, but made the move to television after pos ...
**2010 Fighter of the Year *
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four Wee ...
** Most Outstanding Fighter (2013)


Collegiate wrestling

*
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
**
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
(2005, 2006) **
Pac-10 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States. It participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level for all sports, and its football teams compete in the Football Bowl ...
Championship (2005, 2006) **
Pac-10 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States. It participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level for all sports, and its football teams compete in the Football Bowl ...
Wrestler of the Year (2005) **
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
Division I 285 lb – 5th place out of
Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...
(2005)Cain Velasquez
. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Museum
**
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
Division I 285 lb – 4th place out of
Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...
(2006) *
National Junior College Athletic Association The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions across 24 states ...
**
NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, State college (disambiguation), state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 sepa ...
Junior Collegiate Championship (2002) **
NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, State college (disambiguation), state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 sepa ...
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
(2002) *
USA Wrestling USA Wrestling (formerly known as the United States Wrestling Federation and as the United States Wrestling Association) is the organization that currently governs freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States. USA Wrestling ...
**
FILA Fila (; ) is a South Korean-owned athleisure brand headquartered in Seoul. The company was originally founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Italy. Fila Korea acquired the brand in 2007 and launched its initial p ...
Junior Freestyle World Team Trials Winner (2002) ** ASICS Tiger High School All-American (2001) **Western Junior Freestyle Regional Championship (2001) **Western Junior Greco-Roman Regional Championship (2001) *
Arizona Interscholastic Association The Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) is one of two regulatory bodies for high school athletics and activities in the state of Arizona. It comprises all of the state's public district high schools (except Ajo High School, Beaver Dam High ...
**
AIA AIA or A.I.A. or Aia may refer to: Aia * Aia, a small town in the province of Gipuzkoa, Spain * Peñas de Aya, small mountain range in Oiartzun, Gipuzkoa * Aia, current Kutaisi, ancient capital of Colchis * Aia, another name for Aea (Malis), an ...
Division I High School State Championship (2000, 2001) **
AIA AIA or A.I.A. or Aia may refer to: Aia * Aia, a small town in the province of Gipuzkoa, Spain * Peñas de Aya, small mountain range in Oiartzun, Gipuzkoa * Aia, current Kutaisi, ancient capital of Colchis * Aia, another name for Aea (Malis), an ...
5A Conference Championship (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001)


Pay-per-view bouts


Mixed martial arts record

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Francis Ngannou Francis Zavier Ngannou (born 5 September 1986) is a Cameroonian and French professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer who currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where he is the in ...
, KO (punches) , UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Velasquez , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:26 ,
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–2 ,
Travis Browne Travis Kuualiialoha Browne (born July 17, 1982) is a retired American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who last competed as a heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Browne was born in ...
, TKO (punches) ,
UFC 200 ''UFC 200: Tate vs. Nunes'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 9, 2016, at the T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It was the final UFC event under the ownership of ...
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Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–2 ,
Fabrício Werdum Fabrício Werdum (; born 30 July 1977) is a Spanish-Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is also a 4-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, a two-time Abu Dhabi Comba ...
, Submission (guillotine choke) ,
UFC 188 ''UFC 188: Velasquez vs. Werdum'' was a mixed martial arts event held on June 13, 2015, at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico. Background The event was headlined by a UFC Heavyweight Championship unification bout between current cham ...
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Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 ,
Junior dos Santos Junior dos Santos (; born 30 January 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and current Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA Heavyweigh ...
, TKO (slam and punch) ,
UFC 166 ''UFC 166: Velasquez vs. dos Santos III'' was a mixed martial arts event held on October 19, 2013, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Background The main event was a UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between the current champion Cain Velasq ...
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Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 , Antônio Silva , TKO (punches) ,
UFC 160 ''UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on May 25, 2013, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main event was a rematch between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and Ant ...
, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:21 ,
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 ,
Junior dos Santos Junior dos Santos (; born 30 January 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and current Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA Heavyweigh ...
, Decision (unanimous) ,
UFC 155 ''UFC 155: dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 29, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background A Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez rematch ...
, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Antônio Silva , TKO (punches) ,
UFC 146 ''UFC 146: dos Santos vs. Mir'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event (PPV) promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on May 26, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card featured five MMA bouts ...
, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:36 ,
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–1 ,
Junior dos Santos Junior dos Santos (; born 30 January 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and current Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA Heavyweigh ...
, KO (punches) , UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. dos Santos , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:04 ,
Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 ,
Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...
, TKO (punches) ,
UFC 121 ''UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 23, 2010, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, United States. The event was the fourth time the UFC hosted at the Hond ...
, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:12 ,
Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 ,
Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (, born 2 June 1976), better known as Minotauro or Big Nog, is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Inter ...
, KO (punches) ,
UFC 110 ''UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on Sunday, February 21, 2010 in Sydney, Australia, at Acer Arena. The event marked the UFC's first trip to Australia. The main ca ...
, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:20 ,
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 ,
Ben Rothwell Ben Rothwell (born October 17, 1981) is an American mixed martial artist and bare-knuckle boxer who competes as a Heavyweight and is the current BKFC Heavyweight World Champion. He most notably had a 17 bout stint in the Ultimate Fighting C ...
, TKO (punches) ,
UFC 104 ''UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on October 24, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Background As with UFC 103, the UFC announced a portion of the preliminary card would ...
, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:58 ,
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 ,
Cheick Kongo Cheick Kongo (born May 17, 1975) is a French mixed martial artist and former kickboxer who fights in the Heavyweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2001, he has also competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Bellator. ...
, Decision (unanimous) ,
UFC 99 ''UFC 99: The Comeback'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on June 13, 2009, in Cologne, Germany. Background This was the first UFC event held in Germany, as well as the first in mainland Europe (eve ...
, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Denis Stojnić , TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:34 ,
Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Jake O'Brien , TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Irvin , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:02 ,
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Brad Morris , TKO (punches) ,
UFC 83 ''UFC 83: Serra vs. St-Pierre 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event was held on April 19, 2008, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Background The event on this date was originally sc ...
, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:10 ,
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
,
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Jeremiah Constant , TKO (punches) , BodogFight: St. Petersburg , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:00 ,
St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...
, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Jesse Fujarczyk , TKO (punches) , Strikeforce: Tank vs. Buentello , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:58 ,
Fresno, California Fresno (; ) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley region. It covers a ...
, United States ,


NCAA record

! colspan="8", NCAA Championships Matches , - ! Res. ! Record ! Opponent ! Score ! Date ! Event , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2006
NCAA Championships The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and 1 in Canada. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and helps ...
4th at HWT , - , Win , 7–3 , align=left, Bode Ogunwole , style="font-size:88%", 5–1 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, March 18, 2006 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2006 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships , - , Loss , 6–3 , align=left,
Cole Konrad Cole Konrad (born April 2, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial arts fighter. Konrad won a gold medal at the 2005 Pan-American Championships. He won the NCAA wrestling championships in 2006 and 2007 at 285 pounds and finished third at the ...
, style="font-size:88%", 2–2 TB , - , Win , 6–2 , align=left, Kirk Nail , style="font-size:88%", 4–3 , - , Win , 5–2 , align=left, Paul Weibel , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 4–2 , align=left, Joel Edwards , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2005
NCAA Championships The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and 1 in Canada. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and helps ...
5th at HWT , - , Loss , 3–2 , align=left, Greg Wagner , style="font-size:88%", 1–4 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, March 19, 2005 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2005 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships , - , Loss , 3–1 , align=left,
Cole Konrad Cole Konrad (born April 2, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial arts fighter. Konrad won a gold medal at the 2005 Pan-American Championships. He won the NCAA wrestling championships in 2006 and 2007 at 285 pounds and finished third at the ...
, style="font-size:88%", 2–6 , - , Win , 3–0 , align=left, Matt Feast , style="font-size:88%", 4–2 , - , Win , 2–0 , align=left, Marc Allenmang , style="font-size:88%", Major 9–1 , - , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Payam Zarrinpour , style="font-size:88%", 5–1 , -


See also

*
List of current UFC fighters This list of current UFC fighters records current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters' information, country origins, recent fighter signings and departures, fight schedules and results and the champion of each division. , the UFC roster c ...
*
List of male mixed martial artists This is a list of notable professional male mixed martial arts fighters in alphabetical order. __NOTOC__ A * Tank Abbott - ( UFC, Pride, Strikeforce) * Hamdy Abdelwahab - ( UFC) * Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov - ( ACB) * Shamil Abdurakhimov - ...
* List of Strikeforce alumni


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Velasquez, Cain Living people 1982 births American male mixed martial artists American male sport wrestlers American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent American male Muay Thai practitioners American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu American male professional wrestlers American people convicted of attempted murder American people convicted of assault American professional wrestlers of Mexican descent American vigilantes Arizona State Sun Devils wrestlers Heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Arizona People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Sportspeople from Yuma, Arizona Ultimate Fighting Championship champions Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Professional wrestlers from California 21st-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century American professional wrestlers Professional wrestlers who competed in MMA Vigilantism against sex offenders in the United States