Perez's Take
PEREZ: Cain Velasquez the latest in a long line of fighters representing an entire culture in MMA
Oct 23, 2010 - 11:45:06 AM PEREZ: Cain Velasquez the latest in a long line of fighters representing an entire culture in MMA

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By: Anwar Perez, MMATorch Columnist

This article was originally published on Friday, October 22

Fighters have always maintained that they are either fighting for themselves, their teammates, or their families. Some fighters though, have an entire culture they are representing.

This weekend, heavyweight contender Cain Velasquez will be fighting for more than just UFC gold, or his family or teammates. Velasquez is carrying the weight of the Hispanic (more specifically, Mexican) culture on his back, and is proudly waving the flag. There have been other fighters in the same situation, all the way from a cultural point of view, to the early beginnings of the sport.

When the idea of mixed martial arts came to the forefront in America, it was Brazilians that brought the sport to America. They were carrying the sport to prove who was the best fighter(s) in the world, and out of pride, as a way to show that "their" way was the best. Royce Gracie seemed to have proved that point at the very first UFC event.

In Japan, the sport had taken on a more grand scale before it had in America, and the Japanese were more than willing to test their fighters against any others representing their respective culture. Kazushi Sakuraba became known as the "The Gracie Hunter" for his dismantling of Royler and Royce Gracie disciples. Soon, more fighters were fighting from different places, not only fighting for themselves, but also representing an entire country; or in the cases of Gracie, Sakuraba, and Velasquez, an entire culture.

Randy Couture's nickname is "Captain America," and is very representative of the American culture, in the hardworking, never give up ethos of the culture. B.J. Penn is the face of Hawaii when it comes to fighting and their culture. Even though they are a part of the United States, Penn is very conscious of his island's past, and represents it from a cultural standpoint. He does so from the way that he's treated in Hawaii as a distant descendant of the last King of Hawaii to the music that he walks out to before a fight that is indicative to the culture for which he is representing. Georges St. Pierre is the same way when it comes to his home country of Canada.

All of these fighters mentioned have in some way represented their culture or country to various degrees of success. Cain Velasquez will be representing not only the country of Mexico, but an entire Hispanic culture that is pulling for him to be the one that dismantles Brock Lesnar. There is Eddie Alvarez, Nick Diaz, and Gilbert Melendez that are representative of the culture, and are already champions in the sport, but with Velasquez, it seems that he has the entire Hispanic culture behind him, rallying for a victory and celebration that has not been seen in a long time.