Cain Velasquez left little doubt over who the baddest man on the planet was on this day in 2013.
While injuries plagued the back end of his career and prevented him from building a strong claim to GOAT status in the division, Velasquez’s talents left him widely regarded as the all-time best heavyweight.
The fan favorite’s often unrivaled speed and athleticism were on full display when Velasquez crushed Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva to earn the chance to regain the title — which he had lost in his first career defeat to Junior dos Santos.
And after returning to the throne, Velasquez ensured that his second reign extended beyond the length of his first by dominating a familiar opponent.
Cain Velasquez stopped ‘Bigfoot’ Silva in one round at UFC 160
After getting his revenge against Dos Santos, Velasquez was tasked with avoiding falling victim to that fate against the UFC’s real-life giant.
Headlining UFC 160 inside MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 25, 2023, the then-champion ran it back with ‘Bigfoot’, who was seen as the lineal heavyweight king at the time. That was as a result of Silva’s brutal knockout of Alistair Overeem, who had just arrived as a recent Strikeforce and DREAM titleholder.
As he had done one year prior, Velasquez showed clear superiority over the six-foot-four behemoth by stopping him in under 90 seconds.
The victory left many branding Velasquez the clear best heavyweight in the world, a tag he went on to cement by defending the title for a second time in his trilogy showdown with Dos Santos.
‘Bigfoot’ Silva made Fedor Emelianenko consider retiring after brutal beating
These days, Silva is among the saddest examples of MMA legends failing to get out while on top.
The 45-year-old has failed to win his last 12 bouts across MMA, kickboxing, and bare-knuckle boxing, getting knocked out nine times during that run.
In his prime, however, Silva was among the most feared at heavyweight.
The Brazilian, who has a rare condition that affects the growth hormones known as gigantism, has a number of huge scalps on his résumé. Among the most notable was a win over a contender for heavyweight GOAT status.
‘Bigfoot’ Silva defeated the great Fedor Emelianenko in the quarterfinals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix in 2011, bludgeoning the legendary Russian with strikes to force a doctor’s stoppage.
Before running into the huge hands of Silva, Emelianenko had won 27 of his previous 29 fights.
Silva’s performance at the event in New Jersey was so dominant that it left ‘The Last Emperor’ pondering a potential retirement from the sport.