5 Interesting facts about Cain Velasquez

#4. He worked as a bouncer

Velasquez had a lot of hardships

Cain Velasquez had to sacrifice a lot and worked hard to become a fighter. He was accepted into a training facility in California, but the place was far away from his home, so he couldn't get back often. To pay for the training, he worked as a bouncer at a nearby club and would sleep in his car, instead of his bed at home. He also had to lie to his mother often.

In an interview for complex.com, Velasquez stated

“Sometimes I wouldn’t want to go all the way back home, so I wouldn’t, the next day my mom would ask, ‘Where did you stay?’ I’d tell my mom, ‘Oh, I stayed at a coach’s house,’ but I’d actually sleep in my car a lot. I’d be parked outside The Home Depot across the street and then get up whenever it was time to train.”

Velasquez endured many hardships, but is reaping the rewards now.

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#3. First major Mexican-American heavyweight champion in MMA

Champion

Fans might know that he defeated Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 in 2010 to become the Heavyweight Champion, but might not know that he achieved something unique in the process. With that victory, Velasquez became the first major Mexican-American Heavyweight Champion in MMA history.

Velasquez is proud of his Mexican heritage. His entrance song, “Los Mandados” details the story of a Mexican immigrant, who attempted to cross the border into the United States. He also has a Brown Pride tattoo across his chest.

In an interview with mmamania.com, Velasquez mentioned that he has the tattoo as a reminder of the hardships that his parents went through, and as a display of Mexican pride.