🥋 Sundays with Cain – Episode 8 - A ROLL & RUMBLE Fight Co. Exclusive

🎤 Interview by “D-Man,” CTF Inmate Correspondent

Editor’s Note: This week’s installment came with a heavy start. I received a message through the “Getting Out” app from our inside correspondent D-Man that Sunday’s planned interview with Cain Velasquez had been delayed. The prison had gone into full lockdown following the suicide of an inmate. Monday afternoon became the new time slot, but the weight of the tragedy lingered—a sobering reminder of the silent battles being fought behind these walls.

Cain Velasquez might be locked up, but he’s far from idle. Sitting down with him on Monday, the first thing I wanted to understand was his schedule. The man is living like a spiritual Spartan monk—every hour accounted for, every moment pushing forward.

Each morning starts in a 7' x 7' cell that he calls home. From there, the day unfolds like a tightly wound coil: Monday to Friday he’s knee-deep in Plumbing Vocational Training—not exactly glamorous, but hey, mastering water pressure might come in handy one day. On Mondays and Wednesdays, Cain leads Ascension Breath Work, helping guys channel trauma into clarity. Afternoons usually mean Yard Time—barefoot in the grass, sun on skin, grounding with the Earth. Evenings bring We Care, a youth mentorship group. Then it’s walks in the cold, no hoodie, no shoes—just Cain in a T-shirt and shorts, facing discomfort head-on like it’s a fifth-round title fight.

By Thursday, he’s in WAR (Warrior Arête Resiliency), a program for vets, first responders, and trauma survivors. Saturdays are for Pickleball and PT, helping others heal. Sundays? Church services, choir practice, more breathwork, and finally—“Sundays With Cain.” That’s when he talks to me. This schedule isn’t just about staying busy—it’s about transformation. “Most of the men here working toward real change have routines like this,” Cain told me. “That structure is our freedom.”

Last week, Cain invited a few of us to join him in a three-day fast. I broke on Thursday morning. When I asked Cain when he tapped out, he grinned, “Thursday.” We’d been checking in on each other throughout the week—him giving me tips on getting through the night. “I know what eating feels like,” he said. “I’ve lived that cycle. But fasting clears distractions. You get hyper-aware. Focused. Light. It's like a clean high.” When I asked how often we should do this, Cain just shrugged: “Once a month.” A trend has begun.

We pivoted to the deeper stuff. What’s one mindset Cain’s developing inside that he wishes he had before? “I’m gaining real acceptance. I used to judge people fast. But now—these stories in here—they’re so extreme. I’ve got compassion now. And I’m learning to be accessible to people. I started that in 2016–2017, but here… it’s on another level.” So before 2016, you were more shut off? “Yeah,” he said. “I kept people out.”

That shift led us into a conversation about generational trauma. Cain opened up about how he turned his own trauma into fuel. It made him a killer in the cage—but it also pushed people away. His daughter was the mirror that made him reflect.

What part of that generational legacy of trauma are you breaking for your children? "There is trauma that I passed on. Especially to my daughter because she was there when I was living through it. Some of my trauma I was only able to see for the first time when she was born. I started to have inner battles when I saw myself being too strict. When I tried to correct her behavior it was my trauma coming out and I could see it. Michelle, her mother was the first one to open my eyes to some of this behavior I was exhibiting. We had open communication about internal feelings. I was able to make those feelings vocal for the first time with someone other than my mom”.

How did you meet your wife, Michelle? "When I left Arizona after college I got a job bouncing at Studio 8 in San Jose. Jon Fitch was bar backing at Cardiff in Campbell. Jon eventually got me a job bouncing at Cardiff. That's where I met Michelle. She used to come in there all the time". To see you? (As in the past, Cain smiled and shook his head) " No, she would just go to blow off some steam. We started talking a little here and there. It took months for anything to start between us. She had to initiate most of the conversations. I was not very good at that". How long did you work at Cardiff? "For three years. I had to make a little money. Three nights a week as I sharpened my craft. I was like a squatter staying with friends and living in the gym. I trained everyday.”