Cain Velasquez won’t be short of any fan support on Saturday night.
The UFC heavyweight champion, who will make his first title defense against Junior dos Santos, will have a bit of a home field advantage due to the large Spanish population in California.
Velasquez, a Mexican-American, became the first Mexican heavyweight champion in UFC history after he defeated Brock Lesnar at UFC 122 last year. Since then, Velasquez’s popularity has skyrocketed, and he has become one of most popular fighters within the Mexican community.
And with his fans’ support firmly behind him, Velasquez is proud and honoured to fight for his heritage.
“Thank you for all the support, especially to all La Raza out there,” Velasquez said as he addressed the fans in attendance during UFC on FOX pre-fight press conference earlier this week. “You guys make me fight harder and stronger, thank you, you guys make me proud.”
Certainly, it will take much more than just fan support to help him earn a victory over his opponent, dos Santos, who possesses arguably the best striking in the heavyweight division. Finishing five out his last seven opponents, the Brazilian is a formidable challenger for the champion.
However, Velasquez doesn’t intend on performing under expectations, and with the crowd in his corner, he feels motivated to put on an exciting fight against dos Santos.
“Whether in training or in fighting, just to know that I have people behind me, supporting me, it definitely pushes me forward,” he said. “They’re always the ones out there rooting for you and you always want to go out there represent them well.”
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com