UFC heavyweight legend Cain Velasquez fulfilled a years-long dream against one of the most intimidating men in the world at UFC 121.
Cain Velasquez is often skipped over in the heavyweight GOAT conversation. Amidst the emergence of top names like Jon Jones, Stipe Miocic, and Tom Aspinall, Velasquez’s name doesn’t get tossed around arguably as much as it should when discussing the all-time great heavyweights.
Velasquez was a physical specimen during his MMA prime. He had everything you could want in a heavyweight fighter; elite wrestling, one-punch knockout power, and a relentless pace that few adversaries could keep up with.
The then 8-0 Velasquez earned a heavyweight title shot after collapsing the legendary Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira in a first-round TKO finish at UFC 110. Next was a showdown with one of the most feared men in MMA history, Brock Lesnar, for the UFC heavyweight championship.
Cain Velasquez capped off dominant run through heavyweight division by finishing Brock Lesnar
Lesnar and Velasquez wasted no time getting after it in the UFC 121 main event. Velasquez overcame an early left hand and takedown from Lesnar to flip the script just minutes into the fight.
Lesnar appeared visibly gassed after failing to control Velasquez on the ground after two successful takedowns. Velasquez found his timing with his striking, making Lesnar miss badly and pressuring him against the fence.
Velasquez stunned the crowd by taking down Lesnar and opening up a nasty gash on the heavyweight champion’s face from a right hand. A stumbling Lesnar ran backward across the Octagon, leading Velasquez to hurt Lesnar badly with a knee to the body that knocked down the titleholder.
Velasquez sealed the deal with brutal ground-and-pound strikes to become the UFC’s first Mexican fighter to win a world championship. His victory paved the way for Brandon Moreno, Yair Rodriguez, and other modern Mexican stars to rise in mixed martial arts.
Cain Velasquez sized up Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall for hypothetical UFC matchups
Velasquez suffered a knockout loss in his next fight against Junior dos Santos before bouncing back against Antonio Silva with a wild finish. After an injury-riddled tail-end of his UFC career, Velasquez rematched Lesnar in a shocking WWE appearance years later.
Velasquez was recently asked how he’d match up with Aspinall and Jones during his MMA prime. While he acknowledged Aspinall’s promise, Velasquez claimed that Aspinall has a visible pattern that he’d exploit in the Octagon.
Velasquez was a top candidate for induction into the UFC Hall of Fame before recent legal issues. He retired from MMA with a 14-3 professional record in the cage.