Cain Velasquez was left stunned by Brock Lesnar’s sheer size when they faced off at UFC 121 in 2010.
But despite the shock, the two-time UFC heavyweight champion only needed just one round to knock ‘The Beast Incarnate’ out cold.
Velasquez met Lesnar in the main event of UFC 121 in October 2010, which marked his first shot at a title since debuting with the UFC two years prior.
Lesnar, on the other hand, had won three consecutive UFC heavyweight title fights, beating MMA legends like Randy Couture en route to becoming one of the promotion’s most feared fighters.
Velasquez was the odds makers underdog heading into the fight, but ended up effectively retiring Lesnar from MMA after showcasing why he was one of the best strikers in the sport.
Speaking on his clash with Lesnar, the Mexican-American told fellow ex-UFC fighter Tim Kennedy it was the former’s size that stood out to him the most when they met.
“Obviously, his size,” Velasquez said when asked what was going through his head as he made his Octagon walk in California.
“His size, his power, and knowing how good of a wrestler he is,” the 42-year-old added.
“Again, like OK: ‘Dangerous,’ [he] can be dangerous, especially with a certain style, for sure. But his massive size is like: ‘Wow, it’s a big human.’”
Velasquez went on to reveal how he weighed around 240 pounds for the fight.
Incredibly, Lesnar weighed in at the 265lb limit for the heavyweight title bout, but reports suggested he went back up to nearly 300lbs on the night of the night.
Velasquez credited UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier and his team at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California, for preparing him for such a dangerous threat like Lesnar
“I was very good at getting off on the bottom,” he said. “We did this in college wrestling a lot.
“I was just very good at getting up from the bottom, so I knew if I were to get stuck there, then it could be a long night for me, but we worked on that over and over again with DC [Cormier].
“We had another national champion heavyweight wrestler come in. We started in the worst positions…
“I had to lay down on my back with 16-ounce gloves and had DC lay on top of me and that’s where we started from multiple times a round.
“So I was very good at getting up from the bottom, especially for that camp, and I knew I just had to keep it on the feet with strikes.
“Just the pressure of everything, but it didn’t matter for me. My mentality was I didn’t care if I lost or won, I’m just going to give you what I have. That’s it. That’s all I could do.”
Velasquez certainly kept it on the feet with Lesnar at UFC 121 and found huge success in doing so.
Lesnar shot for a takedown in the first seconds of the bout, showing relentless pressure as he came out swinging and eventually took the challenger to the canvas at the second time of asking.
Velasquez, however, got right back up to his feet and the two-time NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion remained calm to prevent Lesnar doing any further damage.
He eventually escaped the champion’s clinch and shockingly took Lesnar to the ground to mark a big turning point in the fight.
Lesnar got back to his feet after being hit with several tough blows, but ‘The Beast Incarnate’ was delirious and spun out of control as Velasquez went for the finish.
Velasquez then landed a thunderous knee to Lesnar’s body before the latter stumbled to the ground.
The challenger dived onto his opponent quickly after, but an exhausted Lesnar found his feet once again.
However, it didn’t take long before a nasty right hand dropped Lesnar again, and the champion eventually succumbed to Velasquez’s punishing ground-and-pound as referee Herb Dean stopped the fight.
“Complete, total domination,” UFC commentator Joe Rogan said as Velasquez became the first-ever Mexican heavyweight champion.
“Technique versus horsepower and technique just won in a big way!”
Lesnar got his rematch with Velasquez at WWE Crown Jewel in 2019, defeating his UFC rival in the latter’s WWE debut and subsequently avenging the heavyweight title loss that sent him into MMA exile.
After his defeat to Velasquez, Lesnar suffered another brutal defeat to Alistair Overeem via first-round KO before returning to the WWE.
Where to buy UFC London tickets
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With the UFC only coming to the UK a handful of times per year, the opportunity to see MMA’s biggest stars in action can be limited.
However, this month UK-based MMA fans will have the opportunity to see the excitement live as the UFC returns to the 02 arena for UFC Fight Night 254, Edwards vs Brady.
See some of the UK’s finest as Leon Edwards, Molly McCann, Nathaniel Wood and more take to the Octagon in what’s set to be a thrilling night of fights.
To get tickets to UFC London, follow the links below.
UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs Brady (02 Arena, 22 March)
- UFC London tickets at Ticketmaster, from £308.40 – buy here
- UFC London tickets at Vivid Seats, from £316 – buy here
- UFC London tickets at Stubhub, from £181 – buy here
- UFC London tickets at Viagogo, from £209 – buy here
For fans looking for an unrivalled Fight Night experience, Seat Unique offers UFC London hospitality packages complete with floor-level seating, UFC athlete appearances, post-fight Octagon experiences and more.
Get your UFC London hospitality tickets below.
UFC London hospitality tickets (02 Arena, 22 March)
- UFC London hospitality at Seat Unique, from £4,599 – buy here
