🥋 Sundays with Cain - Episode 38 - A ROLL & RUMBLE Fight Co. Exclusive

 Interview with Efrain Velasquez (Cain’s Father)

I want to thank Barush Torres, the head instructor at the Reno Judo Club, for coming out to my home and conducting a phone interview for me with Cain's father, Efrain. My Spanish is limited and I knew that I needed a true bi-lingual  person to handle the job and Barush was the first to volunteer his services. You are very much appreciated, sir!

A Father’s Perspective on Cain Velasquez
(Phone Interview — translated and edited for clarity)

Interviewer: Thank you for speaking with us today, Efrain. We appreciate your time. I want to let you know that Cain’s fans who follow him on ROLL & RUMBLE Fight Co., will appreciate your perspective on Cain, as a fighter and as your son. 

First question: When Cain was a kid, what was a moment when you realized he was determined and strong — that he had something special?

Efrain Velasquez: When he was little, he loved boxing. He used to practice a lot with a punching bag. He was always hitting the bag.

Interviewer: And when did you notice that he was especially tough or fearless?

Efrain Velasquez: All the time. He was always strong. We had an older son, and Cain was more fearless. Cain was more advanced than the other.

Interviewer: When Cain was young, did he ever get frustrated or angry? And did sports — wrestling or fighting — help him channel that?

Efrain Velasquez: He was always calm. He wasn’t angry or frustrated like that.

Interviewer: Did he wrestle through school, or outside of school?

Efrain Velasquez: We would take him to wrestle, like summer programs and tournaments.

Interviewer: So he was competing young?

Interviewer (summary/translation): Efrain said Cain and his brother would go to tournaments, win medals, and that the medals were saved and kept. Cain loved wrestling.

Interviewer: Did Cain ever act more aggressively because of frustration, or did wrestling ever reflect that?

Efrain Velasquez: No. No, no. He was always calm.

Interviewer: Did anyone ever describe Cain in a unique way when he was younger?

Efrain Velasquez: I remember one of his friends from high school. I don’t remember the friend’s name, but the friend used to say Cain had something like an “altered engine” — like a motor that was faster than everyone else. Like he was built differently.

Interviewer: Was there ever a time in Cain’s life when you were worried about him?

Efrain Velasquez: No. Not really. I was always proud of him. I never thought, “I’m worried about Cain.” He was a good person.

Interviewer: Was there a moment you felt the most proud?

Efrain Velasquez: When he finished high school, I asked him if he wanted to work or continue school. Cain said he wanted to continue school. Education was number one.

Interviewer: Outside of sports, did Cain have goals when he was young — like what he wanted to become?

Efrain Velasquez: When he got out of high school, he didn’t know exactly what he wanted at first. But we supported him.

Interviewer: When did Cain move away?

Efrain Velasquez: After he finished school, we found out he was going to San Jose.

Interviewer: Was his mother worried when he moved?

Interviewer (summary/translation): Efrain said that at the time, they didn’t really know what Cain was going to do out there, and his mother was worried, especially because it was far away.

Interviewer: Where were you living and working during those years?

Efrain Velasquez: We were in Salinas, working in the fields — picking lettuce.

Interviewer: What qualities stand out to you most about Cain as your son?

Interviewer (summary/translation): Efrain said there is a mutual respect between Cain and him. He loves his son, respects him, and Cain respects him too. He described Cain as “noble.”

Interviewer: Do you think Cain’s work ethic came from you — genetically or by example?

Efrain Velasquez: Yes. He followed my steps. I did what I had to do to take care of my family, and Cain did what he had to do to succeed.

Interviewer: Do you remember the first UFC fight you watched of Cain’s?

Efrain Velasquez: I don’t remember the other fighter’s name, but I remember the first one. It was one of the early fights.

Interviewer: Were you there live at the arena?

Interviewer (summary/translation): It sounded like both he and Cain’s mother were there. Efrain remembers Cain winning and believes Cain knocked his opponent out.

Interviewer: As he started rising in the rankings, did you feel like, “My son is really going somewhere”?

Efrain Velasquez: Yes. You could see it — he kept moving up.

Interviewer: What did you feel when Cain signed to fight Brock Lesnar?

Interviewer (summary/translation): Efrain said Brock was a very big man. He felt overwhelmed with emotion. He couldn’t fully explain all the feelings, but it was intense and powerful.

Interviewer: When Cain became UFC Heavyweight Champion — did it hit you that your son was considered “the baddest man on the planet”?

Efrain Velasquez: Watching fights made me nervous. It was stressful.

Interviewer (summary/translation): Even though the fights were nerve-wracking, Efrain was proud. He said that even now, people still ask him about Cain. People recognize him, talk to him, and he has become well-known as Cain’s father.

Interviewer: We’ve heard you’re very health-conscious. Is that true?

Efrain Velasquez: Yes. I don’t smoke or drink.

Interviewer: Do you drink alcohol — even tequila?

Efrain Velasquez: No. No, no.

Interviewer: Do you drink coffee?

Interviewer (summary/translation): Efrain said he stopped drinking coffee and feels much better.

Interviewer: What do you like to eat?

Efrain Velasquez: Beans, soups… seafood… a bit of everything.

Interviewer: This interview may be published on the Roll & Rumble blog and could also support a future book. Is there anything we didn’t ask that you’d like people to know about Cain?

Efrain Velasquez: No, no.

Interviewer: Any thoughts about what happened — the situation that led to prison?

Interviewer (summary/translation): Efrain didn’t go into details, but said that any father could understand how something like that could happen — that many fathers would do the same.

Interviewer: Thank you. Also, we’d like to send you some Cain shirts. What sizes do you need?

Interviewer (summary/translation): Efrain requested multiple shirts in different sizes, including two XL, and several larger sizes and mediums. (Some of the exact counts/sizes were unclear in the transcript.) The interviewer told him a package should arrive around the following Tuesday or Wednesday, and that stickers would be included.

Interviewer: Is it okay if I have your phone number so we can reach out without going through someone else?

Efrain Velasquez: Yes, no problem.

Interviewer: Fantastic interview, sir. Thank you so much for your time and insight regarding Cain. We are sure that you already know this, but since we started the weekly Sundays with Cain posts on our website and social pages, we have been amazed at the outpouring of love and respect that so many people have for your son. Thank you for being there when he was conceived  ; ^ ) and thank you for raising such an awesome man and wonderful addition to the human race!

Efrain Velasquez: You’re welcome. Thank you.