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[url=Ryan Bader reflects on champ Cain Velasquez's early years, scared opponents]Ryan Bader reflects on champ Cain Velasquez's early years, scared opponents[/url]
Ryan Bader reflects on champ Cain Velasquez's early years, scared opponents
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Cain Velasquez's inability to get fights early in his mixed-martial-arts career is the stuff of legend.
Just as his pro run was kicking off, the former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler sat on the sidelines for more than a year as one opponent after another dropped out.
MMAjunkie.com documented the experience in 2009 as part of an in-depth profile on Velasquez, and on Friday, teammate and UFC 126 fighter Ryan Bader provided some humorous anecdotes.
Bader's stories were part of a UFC Fight Club Q&A session at The Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Detroit. Prior to official UFC 123 fighter weigh-ins, Bader and UFC broadcaster Mike Goldberg discussed his upcoming fight with Jon Jones, as well as his close-knit group of Arizona State teammates, including Velasquez.
Velasquez, of course, recently upset Brock Lesnar to win the UFC heavyweight title. The undefeated fighter is one of the most feared men in MMA. And according to Bader, Velasquez himself proved fearless even in his earliest MMA exploits.
"Cain was one of the guys who knew he was going to be fighting (in MMA)," Bader said of their ASU years. "Two weekends after we got back from nationals, he was in Nogales, Mexico. We were down there cornering him. We had no clue what we were doing. He was going to fight, and all he had was wrestling. He never took a boxing class in his life."
But, as would become customary for Velasquez, his opponent pulled out of the fight just before the start of the bout. It may have been a blessing in disguise for Velasquez, who then hooked up with Jesse Forbes. Forbes had just concluded a semifinal finish on "The Ultimate Fighter 3," and he helped Velasquez get a crash course in the tools he'd need for MMA.
But losing his opponents just prior to fight time would become a frequent thing for the heavyweight fighter, and Bader saw it firsthand at a 2007 Vale Tudo event in Mexico. He, Velasquez and C.B. Dollaway all were on the card and in the beginning stages of their careers, and they got a crash course in the far-from-luxurious life of lower-level MMA.
The weigh-ins took place on a bathroom scale in a hotel lobby. The local bus system was their chauffeur. The event took place in a bull-fighting ring, and the fighters warmed up in the animal stalls. The floors were dirt, the walkway was merely plywood, and the ring's fighting surface – if it can be called one – shocked Bader.
"It was probably lead paint," Bader said of the surface. "It was hard as a rock. ... I actually got a slam. I had the guy's arm trapped and slammed him on his shoulder, and he basically hit concrete, which knocked him out."
Velasquez, though, never got a chance to enter the ring.
"His opponent saw Cain and was like, 'Hell no, I'm not fighting that guy,'" Bader said.
Promoters then tried to get a 170-pounder – one who had already fought earlier in the day – to take on the heavyweight Velasquez. The fighter initially and surprisingly agreed to the matchup. But then he, too, got a look at what stood in front of him and heard the sickening sounds coming from his pre-fight preparations.
"He was down there to warm up again, and he saw Cain hitting pads," Bader said. "He was like, 'That's it. I'm done. I'm done.'"
The fight, of course, never took place.
It was part of a 16-month layoff for Velasquez, who had just two pro bouts under his belt at the time. And the inability to secure opponents showed no signs of slowing.
That's ultimately what led Velasquez's manager to contact the UFC despite Velasquez's mere 2-0 record. But intrigued by the heavyweight and in need of some fresh talent for the once-barren division, UFC president Dana White agreed to check him out. The rest, of course, is history.
"Five or six people bailed out on him," Bader said. "So he had a private workout for Dana, and look where he is today."
That just made me think of the movie Kickboxer,especially the bit about the sounds that were being made by Cain in his warm up,it reminded me of when Tong Po can be heard through the corridors kicking that concrete post
Ryan Bader reflects on champ Cain Velasquez's early years, scared opponents
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Cain Velasquez's inability to get fights early in his mixed-martial-arts career is the stuff of legend.
Just as his pro run was kicking off, the former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler sat on the sidelines for more than a year as one opponent after another dropped out.
MMAjunkie.com documented the experience in 2009 as part of an in-depth profile on Velasquez, and on Friday, teammate and UFC 126 fighter Ryan Bader provided some humorous anecdotes.
Bader's stories were part of a UFC Fight Club Q&A session at The Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Detroit. Prior to official UFC 123 fighter weigh-ins, Bader and UFC broadcaster Mike Goldberg discussed his upcoming fight with Jon Jones, as well as his close-knit group of Arizona State teammates, including Velasquez.
Velasquez, of course, recently upset Brock Lesnar to win the UFC heavyweight title. The undefeated fighter is one of the most feared men in MMA. And according to Bader, Velasquez himself proved fearless even in his earliest MMA exploits.
"Cain was one of the guys who knew he was going to be fighting (in MMA)," Bader said of their ASU years. "Two weekends after we got back from nationals, he was in Nogales, Mexico. We were down there cornering him. We had no clue what we were doing. He was going to fight, and all he had was wrestling. He never took a boxing class in his life."
But, as would become customary for Velasquez, his opponent pulled out of the fight just before the start of the bout. It may have been a blessing in disguise for Velasquez, who then hooked up with Jesse Forbes. Forbes had just concluded a semifinal finish on "The Ultimate Fighter 3," and he helped Velasquez get a crash course in the tools he'd need for MMA.
But losing his opponents just prior to fight time would become a frequent thing for the heavyweight fighter, and Bader saw it firsthand at a 2007 Vale Tudo event in Mexico. He, Velasquez and C.B. Dollaway all were on the card and in the beginning stages of their careers, and they got a crash course in the far-from-luxurious life of lower-level MMA.
The weigh-ins took place on a bathroom scale in a hotel lobby. The local bus system was their chauffeur. The event took place in a bull-fighting ring, and the fighters warmed up in the animal stalls. The floors were dirt, the walkway was merely plywood, and the ring's fighting surface – if it can be called one – shocked Bader.
"It was probably lead paint," Bader said of the surface. "It was hard as a rock. ... I actually got a slam. I had the guy's arm trapped and slammed him on his shoulder, and he basically hit concrete, which knocked him out."
Velasquez, though, never got a chance to enter the ring.
"His opponent saw Cain and was like, 'Hell no, I'm not fighting that guy,'" Bader said.
Promoters then tried to get a 170-pounder – one who had already fought earlier in the day – to take on the heavyweight Velasquez. The fighter initially and surprisingly agreed to the matchup. But then he, too, got a look at what stood in front of him and heard the sickening sounds coming from his pre-fight preparations.
"He was down there to warm up again, and he saw Cain hitting pads," Bader said. "He was like, 'That's it. I'm done. I'm done.'"
The fight, of course, never took place.
It was part of a 16-month layoff for Velasquez, who had just two pro bouts under his belt at the time. And the inability to secure opponents showed no signs of slowing.
That's ultimately what led Velasquez's manager to contact the UFC despite Velasquez's mere 2-0 record. But intrigued by the heavyweight and in need of some fresh talent for the once-barren division, UFC president Dana White agreed to check him out. The rest, of course, is history.
"Five or six people bailed out on him," Bader said. "So he had a private workout for Dana, and look where he is today."
That just made me think of the movie Kickboxer,especially the bit about the sounds that were being made by Cain in his warm up,it reminded me of when Tong Po can be heard through the corridors kicking that concrete post
