Issue 121

November 2014

After a year on the sidelines, heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez is ready to step back inside the Octagon and remind everyone why he’s ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’. But with his UFC belt, heavyweight history and the adulation of a nation resting on his success, his legacy has never been more at risk.

It’s the spring of 1993. The sun burns brightly in the blue sky and the sound of excited voices and smell of barbecue fills the air in the city of Yuma, Arizona. A group of family and friends huddle around the television to watch boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez stroll toward the ring before handling Silvio Walter Rojas in front of thousands of adoring Mexican compatriots in Guadalajara.

Among those cheering every thunderous hook and jab Chavez landed was an inspired 10-year-old named Cain Velasquez, transfixed on his hero performing in front a sold-out stadium. Unbeknownst to young Cain, 21 years later he too would be preparing himself to make a similar walk in front of his fellow countrymen when he takes on Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Fabricio Werdum in November at UFC 180 in Mexico City.

And Werdum has become a puzzle to UFC heavyweights. No longer just a big man with great grappling, he’s dispatched whoever the UFC has put in front of him in a variety of ways. Roy Nelson was bludgeoned with vicious knees, Mike Russow was obliterated in a half a round, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was humiliated on the ground, while Travis Browne was out-struck, out-grappled and, frankly, outmatched.

Werdum has earned his shot at the title, that’s for sure. However, while a UFC title is far from anything to scoff at, what Velasquez has the chance to achieve if he beats the challenger on November 15th would be worth so much more. After all, it’s not every day a fighter finds himself on the cusp of sporting greatness.

Velasquez took some time out of his intense training camp to speak to Fighters Only about how he plans on setting the standard for the UFC’s 265lb weight class by achieving things no other heavyweight has been able to do, the special jiu-jitsu player he’s brought in to help him nullify Werdum’s slick submission skills, and why he loved the Ultimate Fighter coaching experience so many hate.

Legendary status

Listing those who have not only won the UFC’s heavyweight strap but successfully defended it is like creating an MMA all-star team. Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir, Junior Dos Santos, figures who will forever be remembered for what they brought to the division.

Although these fighters were, at one point, able to conquer their weight class, at some point they found out that dominating a division filled with the heaviest hitters is a near-impossible task. To this day, no heavyweight champ has been able to defend the UFC title more than twice.

It’s a fact Velasquez is fully aware of, but not something he fears or allows to envelop him mentally. Indeed, he embraces the challenge and the legacy he’ll have created if he’s able to defeat Werdum. 

“I want to achieve more than I already have in this sport,” he says confidently. “I want to defend my belt more than anyone else ever has and I want to get better as a fighter, which I think I’m doing constantly. To me, it’s a good thing that I’m always improving. I want to be competing in this sport for a while longer, so we’ll see what happens.”

Many fans believe Fedor Emelianenko is still the greatest heavyweight of all time, especially after he smashed all before him in Pride. And while it’s an accolade he fully deserves, if Velasquez were to successfully retain the UFC belt in Mexico City the consensus of fans would be he’s surpassed the once-untouchable Russian.

It’s all part of a question that has been asked many times: does Cain Velasquez truly get the respect he deserves? Despite his accomplishments and the UFC heavyweight title-defense record he’s close to finally shattering, when it comes to debating who the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet is, people such as Jon Jones, José Aldo, and Ronda Rousey are always in the mix. Rarely do you ever hear Velasquez’s name mentioned.

For someone who has demolished his competition and accumulated the number of scalps he has in his career, some may say people don’t fully appreciate Velasquez yet. 

However, when asked about his place in the rankings he doesn’t seem to care what others think because, in his eyes, he’s here to do one thing: defeat anyone and everyone who dares to get in the cage with him.

“I believe I get the respect I deserve; I’ve earned it with my performances,” Cain says. “I can’t help if my name isn’t put out there as much as guys like Jones and Aldo. That’s out of my control. However, my job is to go out there, fight and win them and that’s what I plan on doing still.”

Coach Cain

When Velasquez finally places his bare feet onto the Octagon’s canvas he’ll have spent an incredible 392 days out of action. In a sport like MMA, where a fighter’s window for success is just a few short years, 12 months out can feel like a lifetime.

To keep himself busy and in the minds of the Mexican fans who will be traveling from all over the country to watch him fight, he and Werdum were made the coaches of the first TUF: Latin America series. Although apprehensive at first, Velasquez admits he gradually grew to enjoy the challenge.

He explains: “I wasn’t sure going in if I’d like being a coach but I really enjoyed it. The guys I helped train had so much hunger to learn and gain as much as they could from their six weeks in the house. They didn’t just want to fight, they wanted to train. They were hungry guys and were grateful just to be on the show so they could represent themselves and their country.

“Also, the overall team unity we had was incredible, especially with the group of guys I had on my team. Everyone got along well, worked hard and fought well. There was really nothing more I could ask for as a coach. I gave them all I could as far as coaching them, giving them advice on how to get better as fighters, physically and mentally. Overall, it was a great experience and I’m happy I did it.”

Despite having a great team of fighters and a world-class coaching staff, Velasquez still had to spend six weeks around number-one contender and his opposing coach Werdum. While he admits things got tense when their fighters squared off inside the Octagon, they managed to keep things controlled while their fighters’ gloves were off.

Cain adds: “I wouldn’t say there was too much tension. Me and him are two guys that are respectful and both do our talking in the fight. However, there was a little bit of tension between fights because we both cared about our fighters and we both wanted to win. You’ll definitely see us fired up, especially in those situations.”

Return of the king

With a late 2013 shoulder injury healed and TUF filming all in the can, Velasquez is back at the gym, preparing himself for his upcoming defense. While he’s been given the OK to train again, there is a fear the all-action style he brings to the mats may make him susceptible to another injury. Although, Velasquez has no intention on slowing down.

“I don’t think I will. It’s something I’ve done in the past and it hasn’t been good. Now I just go into training to try and win every single day,” he says. “That’s been beneficial for me so I’m not going to change anything that I do in terms of training for this camp. I’m going to keep it all the same and if I get hurt in the process of doing that then so be it. That’s just the way I train and fight, go in there and f**king bust my butt off.”

And with so much at stake – the belt, the record and, of course, this being the first UFC card held in Mexico – Velasquez isn’t able to take his foot off the gas. Werdum has added an imposing Muay Thai game to a jiu-jitsu skillset unparalleled in the heavyweight division. He presents a threat the champ is perhaps yet to see in his career. But as far as it being his greatest challenge, Velasquez insists he’s heard it all before.

“We’ll see if he is my toughest opponent when we fight,” Cain states. “Throughout my career, I’ve always been told whoever I was fighting was going to be the toughest fight I’ve ever had and this fight is no different. He’s definitely bringing some good skills to the table and he’s always improving. It’s a big test for me, but I already have the mentality this was going to be tough. I know I have to get ready for this.”

One coach who has played a significant role in preparing Velasquez for Werdum’s ground game is legendary jiu-jitsu grappler Leandro Vieira, who’s even recruited Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida to the AKA sparring squad, the man many consider to be the best heavyweight BJJ player in the world. 

“Leandro Vieira’s brought in guys like ‘Buchecha’ Almeida, who won the ADCC championship in 2014. He’s the best heavyweight jiu-jitsu grappler in the world and if I can train and go with him then I feel as if I can train with anybody. 

“It’s definitely been good having someone like him pushing you because he gives me a bunch of new looks in terms of jiu-jitsu. Having Buchecha around for this fight has been the best thing for me, I believe.”

With Cain’s preparation close to complete, it’s now just a waiting game for the 32-year-old king. Can he outshine all who have come before him by etching his name into the heavyweight history books while also confirming himself as the face of MMA in a country rich in fighting tradition? Because, win emphatically and Cain will transcend his role as a UFC champion to that of Mexican icon.

The capacity crowd set to invade the Mexico City arena will surely turn the place green, white and red for the UFC 180 main event, as an entire nation awaits the true coronation of their titleholder. And across the country boys and girls will tune in on TV to be inspired as one of their own claims the title of MMA’s greatest heavyweight champion.

History in the making

Much like Javier Mendez, Bob Cook has been working with Velasquez since the beginning of his career, and has watched him grow from highly-skilled wrestler to one of the planet’s biggest, most destructive mixed martial artist. 

Cook, who, along with his management partner DeWayne Zinkin, has recruited a formidable line-up of fighters to American Kickboxing Academy, is aware of the status that awaits Velasquez should he beat Werdum on November 15th.

“It’s history in the making because it’s the first UFC show in Mexico, it’s in a great venue and it’s being built up on The Ultimate Fighter. There are a lot of great things going on for Cain at the moment, a lot of growth,” Cook says.

“We’re seeing a new country open up with Mexico and we know that Mexico is full of fight fans. Hopefully, we’ll get the entire country on board and those fans will get invested in MMA.”

Cook is also aware that if Cain is able to hold onto the strap and his AKA teammates, Daniel Cormier and Luke Rockhold, get UFC title shots his gym could have a firm grip on the UFC’s heavier weight divisions.

“We’ve got the heavyweight champion which is seen by many people as the pinnacle of the sport. We’ve had champions sporadically but if we could have multiple champions at a time that would be fantastic. 

“Obviously, we have Daniel Cormier fighting for the belt, but I also think Luke Rockhold could potentially win the title too. It would be incredible to have two or three champions all at the same time.”

Figuring out Fabricio

With a high-level BJJ black belt and a crisp striking game, Fabricio Werdum is a significant threat to Cain Velasquez’s UFC title. And according to AKA head coach Javier Mendez, Cain will need to stay focused in the Octagon if he’s to retain his belt and create history.

“Fabricio keeps on evolving as a fighter, so we need to keep an eye out for nearly all the areas. The only thing we’re not threatened by with Fabricio is the wrestling,” Mendez tells FO, “but he’s a threat in the stand-up and he’s one of the best jiu-jitsu guys in the sport.”

Not only does Velasquez have to contend with a man many consider to be his most difficult test, he’s also fighting in Mexico City, the home of his father and in front of countrymen who are famous for their passion for combat sports. 

While some would crumble mentally under that weight, Mendez believes Velasquez will be able to turn the pressure into positive energy to perform to his full potential. 

“I don’t see it affecting him at all. Actually, I believe the situation will pump him up and make him want to perform even better. The energy that he’s going to get from the fight and everything that’s on the line would never be negative, it would be all positive. That’s just the type of person Cain is, he rises to the occasion.”

Mendez, who has been training Velasquez since he began his career in 2006, also thinks Cain is finally getting back to full health after he suffered a shoulder injury that took him out of action for the majority of 2014.

“From the time I’ve spent training with him, he looked fantastic. He’s getting his power and speed back, everything seems to be coming together perfectly. He’s done some sparring with lighter individuals and he’s looked real good.”

He adds: “Hopefully, knock on wood, nothing happens between now and the fight because I really believe that we’re going to see a great Cain Velasquez and we’re going to see a great fight.”