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Cain Velasquez is unlike any other fighter who's ever been in the Heavyweight division. In his prime, there was no Heavyweight on the planet more feared than him. Heavyweight fighters are known for their raw power and relatively lesser stamina, but Velasquez was an exception to this rule.
As Joe Rogan puts it, Velasquez punches like a heavyweight and has the cardio and output of a Lightweight. Training in AKA, it's no surprise that Velasquez has reached the heights that he has. After all, some of his training partners included Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Luke Rockhold - fighters with an incredible pedigree and UFC gold to their name.
Velasquez suffered defeats in the UFC as well, but even then, he managed to make successful returns. Unfortunately, 2016-2018 was bad for the former Heavyweight champion, as he constantly suffered injuries that sidelined him. He was cleared in June 2018 but rightfully played it safe when in returning.
While there might be a question mark in many people's minds as to what Velasquez's true potential is, we take a look at five undeniably dominant performances from the former Heavyweight Champion.
#5 Cain Velasquez vs Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva - UFC 146
Cain Velasquez had a lot to prove in UFC 146. He had lost the Heavyweight Championship to Junior Dos Santos in his first title defence, and he needed a big win to return to the title picture.
UFC 146 featured an all-heavyweight main card, the first time in history. If anyone doubted Cain, they would immediately stop after this fight, as he put away Bigfoot Silva in the very first round at the 3-minute mark.
He would face Bigfoot Silva again one day shy of a year later, this time to defend his Heavyweight Championship. He would end up putting Silva away in less than one and a half minutes of the first round in the second attempt.
#4 Cain Velasquez vs Antonio Nogueira - UFC 110
Cain Velasquez found himself on a hot streak, holding a record of 7-0. He would face PRIDE legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in what was a title eliminator. Nogueira had won eight of his last ten fights and was coming on strong as well.
Once again, Velasquez put on an incredible display, absolutely decimating the legend from start to finish. He would just need over two minutes in the very first round to knock Nogueira out, securing himself a date with Brock Lesnar for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
#3 Cain Velasquez vs Brock Lesnar - UFC 121
After defeating a legend in Nogueira, Velasquez had his sights set on the UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. Both Velasquez and Lesnar possessed impressive wrestling pedigrees, so fans expected that it would be utilized throughout the fight.
Except, it didn't. The fight would be all stand-up, with Velasquez decimating Lesnar in a way that no one else had before. He knocked Lesnar out in the first round, securing his first of two UFC Heavyweight Championships.
#2 Cain Velasquez vs Junior Dos Santos II - UFC 155
Cain Velasquez suffered his first-ever career defeat at the hands of Junior Dos Santos in the very first defence of the UFC Heavyweight title. Dos Santos had knocked him out clean, and Velasquez was looking for revenge.
He would outclass JDS with an incredible display, and this time, it would go the distance. Velasquez comfortably regained the UFC Heavyweight Championship with a unanimous decision victory...but that victory meant that there needed to be a trilogy. Could Cain finish JDS the way JDS finished him?
#1 Cain Velasquez vs Junior Dos Santos III - UFC 166
10 months after the second part, the trilogy would be completed. Cain Velasquez put the UFC Heavyweight title on the line, and in one of the most intense heavyweight title fights ever, he needed to dig deep to put Dos Santos away.
For Velasquez, just a decision victory wasn't enough. He needed a decisive finish. After a crazy back-and-forth fight, Velasquez ensured that it didn't go to the judges' hands, finishing Dos Santos in round 3 and officially cementing himself as the top heavyweight in the world.
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