Daniel Cormier Shares Heartfelt Tribute to Cain Velasquez as UFC Legend Battles Dark Times Behind Bars for Murder Charges

Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez have been through it all together—early grind sessions, championship glory, the highs of fame, and the emotional moments of retirement. Their bond runs deeper than just training partners; they’ve been like family. But now, Cormier finds himself watching his longtime friend face something no title belt could prepare him for.

Former UFC heavyweight champ Velasquez has officially entered the California prison system following his conviction. After pleading no contest to multiple charges, including attempted murder, Velasquez was handed a five-year sentence and is currently at Wasco State Prison.

It should be noted that Wasco is essentially a reception center where inmates are evaluated before getting assigned to a long-term facility like San Quentin or Folsom.

As Velasquez battles life behind bars, Cormier took a moment to honor their friendship in a way only he could—by sharing a heartfelt video tribute on his Instagram story, reminding everyone of the man he knows beyond the headlines.

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— THE UFCGUY (@the_ufcguy) April 26, 2025

‘DC’ always regarded Cain as his elder brother in the sport and often credited him for helping him achieve all the gold and glory that he did in the UFC.

Cormier has also often claimed that if it wasn’t for the injuries, Velsquez would have achieved a lot more than he did. According to DC, he could have even been a reasonable addition to the GOAT debate.

Velasquez: One of UFC’s greatest ‘What Ifs’

 The former UFC heavyweight champ had it all—crazy cardio, insane pressure—but constant injuries to his shoulder, knee, and back stole away some of his prime years.

Cormier, who trained alongside Cain at American Kickboxing Academy, is convinced no one could touch Velasquez when he was healthy.

“Nobody wanted those Cain Velasquez problems,” Cormier told MMA Fighting. “When he was good, he was unstoppable. Ask me, ask Khabib, ask anyone who saw him in the gym—Cain was the best.” Cormier noted. 

However, it should be noted that despite these issues, Velasquez achieved quite a bit during his time in the UFC.

The Mexican heavyweight captured the heavyweight title twice, finishing Brock Lesnar in 2010 at UFC 121. He would fail to defend it against Junior Dos Santos the following year. 

But winning a #1 contender’s fight against Antonio Silva at UFC 146, Velasquez would get his shot at revenge. And boy, would he take it!

In a 5-round affair at UFC 155 in 2012, he would obliterate Dos Santos to win by unanimous decision. To put into perspective how dominant his performance was, Velasquez landed 111 significant strikes over 25 minutes, compared to the incumbent’s 57!

But after this title reign, injuries kept him to just four fights over more than five years. It also stopped Cormier from seeing Velasquez take on a dream opponent- one he could not defeat himself, Jon Jones. 

“That would’ve been a good one,” the former double champion noted.