Cain (right) and Abel (left), 19th century Bible illustration

In the Bible, Cain and Abel (Hebrew: הֶבֶל ,קַיִן‎‎ Qayin, Hevel)^[1] are two sons of Adam and Eve. The Qur'an mentions the story, calling them the two sons of Adam (Arabic: إبني آدم).

Cain is described as a crop farmer and his younger brother Abel as a shepherd. Genesis 4:2 Cain is portrayed as sinful, committing the first murder by killing his brother, after God rejected his offerings of produce but accepted Abel's sacrifice "from the firstborn of his flock and from their fats".Genesis 4:1,3 Thus, Cain was the first human born, and Abel the first to die.

The oldest known copy of the Biblical narration is from the 1st century Dead Sea Scrolls.^[2][3] Cain and Abel also appear in a number of other texts,^[4] and the story is the subject of various interpretations.^[5] Abel, the first murder victim, is sometimes seen as the first martyr;^[6] while Cain, the first murderer, is sometimes seen as an ancestor of evil.^[7] A few scholars suggest the pericope may have been based on a Sumerian story representing the conflict between nomadic shepherds and settled farmers.^[8] Others think that it may refer to the days in which agriculture began to replace the ways of the hunter-gatherer.^[9][10]

Allusions to Cain and Abel as an archetype of fratricide persist in numerous references and retellings, through medieval art and Shakespearean works up to present day fiction.

Some Jewish traditions hold Cain to have been fathered by the serpent (Hebrew nahash נחש) from the Garden of Eden.^[11]

Etymology[link]

Abel
A Christian icon of Abel
Righteous, First Martyr
Honored in	Judaism, Christianity, Islam
Major shrine	Nabi Habeel Mosque, Damascus

Cain and Abel are traditional English renderings of the Hebrew names Qayin (קין) and Havel (הבל). The original text did not provide vowels.^[12] Abel's name is composed in Hebrew of the same three consonants as a root speculated by people to have originally meant "breath", because Rabbis postulated one of its roots thus, also "waste", but is used in the Hebrew Bible primarily as a metaphor for what is "elusive", especially the "vanity" (another definition by the Rabbis of medieval France, Rashi in specific from his translation into Old French) of human beauty and work e.g. Hevel Hayophi (He-vel Ha-yo-fi) vanity is as beauty from the Song of Songs of Solomon.^[13] Julius Wellhausen, and many scholars following him, have proposed that the name is independent of the root.^[14] Eberhard Schrader had previously put forward the Akkadian (Old Assyrian dialect) ablu ("son") as a more likely etymology.^[15] In the Islamic tradition, Abel is named as Hābīl (هابيل), while Cain is named as Qābīl (قابيل). Although their story is cited in the Quran, neither of them is mentioned by name. Cain is called Qayen in the Ethiopian version of Genesis.^[16] The Koine Greek of the New Testament refers to Cain three times,^[17] using two syllables ka-in (Κάïν) for the name.^[18]

More recent scholarship has produced another theory, a more direct pun. Abel is here thought to derive from a reconstructed word meaning "herdsman", with the modern Arabic cognate ibil, now specifically referring only to "camels". Cain, on the other hand, is thought to be cognate to the mid-1st millennium BC South Arabian word qyn, meaning "metal smith".^[19] This theory would make the names merely descriptions of the roles they take in the story—Abel working with livestock, and Cain with agriculture—and would parallel the names Adam ("man") and Eve ("life", Chavah in Hebrew).^[20]

The name Abel has been used in many European languages as both surname and first name. In English, however, even Cain features in 17th century, Puritan-influenced families, who had a taste for biblical names, sometimes despite the reputation of the original character.^[21][22][23] Contrary to popular belief^{[citation needed]}, the surname McCain does not mean "Son of Cain" in Gaelic, rather it is a contraction (also McCann) of Mac Cathan. Gaelic cathan means "warrior", from cath "battle".^[24]

Murder and motive[link]

For convenience, the story can be considered in two sections — 1. murder and motive and 2. confrontation and consequences.

Religious sources of the Cain and Abel story can be found in Genesis (950 to 450 BC) in the Hebrew Bible, Sura 5 (Al-Ma'ida) of the Qur'an (early 7th century) and Pearl of Great Price (1851).^[25]

Biblical account[link]

Cain leads Abel to death, by James Tissot.

¹Adam knew his wife Eve intimately, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, "I have had a male child with the LORD's help."^{[26] 2}Then she also gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd of a flock, but Cain cultivated the land. ³In the course of time Cain presented some of the land's produce as an offering to the LORD. ⁴And Abel also presented [an offering]^[27] — some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions.^[28] The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, ⁵but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he was downcast.^{[29] 6}Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you furious? And why are you downcast?^{[30] 7}If you do right, won't you be accepted? But if you do not do right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it." ⁸Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field."^[31] And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

— Genesis 4:1-8 (HCSB)

The Septuagint has a different verse 7:

Hast thou not sinned if thou hast brought it rightly, but not rightly divided it? be still, to thee shall be his submission, and thou mayest rule over him.^[32]

Motives[link]

Though Genesis depicts Cain's motive in killing Abel as simply being one of jealousy concerning God's favour for Abel, this is not the view of many extra-biblical works. The Midrash and the Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan both record that the real motive involved the desire of women. According to Midrashic tradition, Cain and Abel each had twin sisters, whom they were to marry. The Midrash records that Abel's promised wife was the more beautiful. Cain would not consent to this arrangement. Adam proposed to refer the question to God by means of a sacrifice. God rejected Cain's sacrifice, signifying His disapproval of his marriage with Aclima, and Cain slew his brother in a fit of jealousy.^[33]

In Latter-day Saint extra-Biblical scripture, the Book of Moses contains an expanded account of the story of Cain and Abel. In this account, Cain murders Abel as a result of a covenant of murder with Satan. Following the murder, Cain exclaims, "I am free; surely the flocks of my brother falleth into my hands" (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 5:33) indicating that coveting Abel's possessions was another motive for Cain's action.

Abel's death[link]

Adam and Eve mourn the death of Abel, painting by William Bouguereau

In Christianity, comparisons are sometimes made between the death of Abel and that of Jesus, the former thus seen as being the first martyr: in Matthew 23:35, Jesus speaks of Abel as righteous; and the Epistle to the Hebrews states that The blood of sprinkling ... [speaks] better things than that of Abel (Hebrews 12:24). The blood of Jesus is interpreted as bringing mercy; but that of Abel as demanding vengeance (hence the curse and mark).^[34]

Abel is invoked in the litany for the dying in Roman Catholic Church, and his sacrifice is mentioned in the Canon of the Mass with those of Abraham and Melchizedek. The Coptic Church commemorates him with a feast day on December 28.^[35]

Burial[link]

According to Shi'a Muslim belief, Abel is buried in Nabi Habeel Mosque, located west of Damascus, in Syria.

Underworld[link]

In classical times, as well as more recently, Abel was regarded as the first innocent victim of the power of evil, and hence the first martyr. In the Book of Enoch (at 22:7), the soul of Abel is described as having been appointed as the chief of martyrs, crying for vengeance, for the destruction of the seed of Cain. This view is later repeated in the Testament of Abraham (at A:13 / B:11), where Abel has been raised to the position as the judge of the souls:

An awful man sitting upon the throne to judge all creatures, and examining the righteous and the sinners. He being the first to die as martyr, God brought him hither [to the place of judgment in the nether world] to give judgment, while Enoch, the heavenly scribe, stands at his side writing down the sin and the righteousness of each. For God said: I shall not judge you, but each man shall be judged by man. Being descendants of the first man, they shall be judged by his son until the great and glorious appearance of the Lord, when they will be judged by the twelve tribes of Israel, and then the last judgment by the Lord Himself shall be perfect and unchangeable.

According to the Coptic Book of Adam and Eve (at 2:1-15), and the Syriac Cave of Treasures, Abel's body, after many days of mourning, was placed in the Cave of Treasures, before which Adam and Eve, and descendants, offered their prayers. In addition, the Sethite line of the Generations of Adam swear by Abel's blood to segregate themselves from the unrighteous.

Confrontation and consequences[link]

Cain, by Henri Vidal, Jardin des Tuileries, Paris

Bible[link]

⁹Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
"I know not," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"
¹⁰Then He said, "What have you done? Your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground! ¹¹So now you are cursed [with alienation]^[36] from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood you have shed. ¹²If you work the land, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."
¹³But Cain answered the Lord, "My punishment^[37] is too great to bear! ¹⁴Since You are banishing me today from the soil, and I must hide myself from Your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, whoever finds me will kill me."
¹⁵Then the Lord replied to him, "Therefore,^[38] whosoever slayeth Cain vengeance will suffer vengeance seven times over. "^[39] And the Lord set a Mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. ¹⁶Then Cain went out from the Lord's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Qur'an and Sunnah[link]

The story with the motives and the aftermath of the killing is mentioned in Surat Al-Ma'ida Verse 27 - 32^{[citation needed]}:

27. Recite to them the truth of the story of the two sons of Adam. Behold! they each presented a sacrifice (to Allah): It was accepted from one, but not from the other. Said the latter: "Be sure I will slay thee." "Surely," said the former, "(Allah) doth accept of the sacrifice of those who are righteous.
28. "If thou dost stretch thy hand against me, to slay me, it is not for me to stretch my hand against thee to slay thee: for I do fear Allah, the cherisher of the worlds.
29. "For me, I intend to let thee draw on thyself my sin as well as thine, for thou wilt be among the companions of the fire, and that is the reward of those who do wrong."
30. The (selfish) soul of the other led him to the murder of his brother: he murdered him, and became (himself) one of the lost ones.
31. Then Allah sent a raven, who scratched the ground, to show him how to hide the shame of his brother. "Woe is me!" said he; "Was I not even able to be as this raven, and to hide the shame of my brother?" then he became full of regrets.
32. On that account: We ordained for the nation of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our apostles with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land.

There is Hadith in Al-Bukari that tells of the consequences Qabil shall take because of slaying his brother:^[40]

Narrated by Sufian Athaouri, from Al-A'amash, from Abdullah ibn Murrah, from Masrouq, from Abdullah ibn Mas'oud, that Muhammad said:

No human being is killed unjustly, but a part of responsibility for the crime is laid on the first son of Adam who invented the tradition of killing (murdering) on the earth.

Mark of Cain[link]

Much has been written about the curse of Cain, and associated mark. The word translated as mark ('Oth, אות) could mean a sign, omen, warning, or remembrance.^[41] In the Bible, the same word is used to describe the stars as signs or omens,^[42] circumcision as a token of God's covenant with Abraham,^[43] and the signs performed by Moses before Pharaoh.^[44]

The word Ot (hard t) in Hebrew also means "a letter" (of the alphabet). Jewish mysticism, among other ancient lores, assigns spiritual ideas or powers to written letters and verses. The Mark of Cain may be a letter, a verse, a message, or a talisman.

The Bible makes reference on several occasions to Kenites, who, in the Hebrew, are referred to as Qayin, i.e. in a highly cognate manner to Cain (Qayin). Some therefore believe that the Mark of Cain referred originally to some very identifying mark of the Kenite tribe, such as red hair, or a ritual tattoo of some kind, which was transferred to Cain as the tribe's eponym. The mark is said to afford Cain some form of protection, in that harming Cain involved the harm being returned sevenfold. This is hence seen as some sort of protection that membership of the tribe offered, in a form such as the entire tribe attacking an individual who harms just one of their number.

Baptist^{[citation needed]} and Catholic^{[citation needed]} groups both consider the idea of God cursing an individual to be out of character, and hence take a different stance. Catholics officially view the curse being brought through the ground itself refusing to yield to, not being in harmony with, Cain^{[citation needed]}, whereas some Baptists view the curse as Cain's own aggression, something already present that God merely pointed out rather than added. There are several theories; in the Catholic world one example has been put forth that rather this mark is one of grace, and that perhaps the mark is that of Abel's blood,^[45] by which God is saying, "This man is still mine. Vengeance is mine. I will repay. Hands off!" As the heart of God is always ready to show mercy. This view supports Abel as a Christ figure in paralleling Christ’s sacrifice; here a blood sacrifice which acknowledges guilt and counting himself as guilty seeks atonement (this is in contrast to Cain's sacrifice)^[46]

In Judaism, the mark is not a punishment but a sign of God's mercy. When Cain was sentenced to be a wanderer he did not dispute the punishment but only begged that the terms of his sentence be altered slightly^{[citation needed]}, protesting "Whoever meets me will kill me!" For unspecified reasons, God agrees to this request. He puts the mark on Cain as a sign to others that Cain should not be killed. Lamech, Cain's descendant, refers poetically to the "mark of Cain" in Genesis 4:19-24, in a passage which has been subject to several interpretations.

Wanderer[link]

As Abel's murderer, Cain was commanded to wander the earth in punishment, a tradition arose that this punishment was to be forever, in a similar manner to the (much later) legends of the Flying Dutchman or the Wandering Jew. According to some Islamic sources, such as al-Tabari, Ibn Kathir and al-Tha'labi, he migrated to Yemen.

Fernand-Anne Piestre Cormon's painting titled "Cain flying before Jehovah's Curse", c. 1880, Musée d'Orsay, Paris.

Though variations on these traditions were strong in medieval times, with several claims of sightings being reported, they have generally gone out of favour. Nevertheless, the Wandering Cain theme has appeared in Mormon folklore —a second-hand account relates that an early Mormon leader, David W. Patten, encountered a very tall, hairy, dark-skinned man in Tennessee who said that he was Cain. The account states that Cain had earnestly sought death but was denied it, and that his mission was to destroy the souls of men.^[47][48] The recollection of Patten's story is quoted in Spencer W. Kimball's The Miracle of Forgiveness, a popular book within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.^[49] This widespread Mormon belief is further emphasized by an account from Salt Lake City in 1963 which stated that "One superstition is based on the old Mormon belief that Cain is a black man who wanders the earth begging people to kill him and take his curse upon themselves (M, 24, SLC, 1963)."^[50]

Despite these later traditional beliefs of perpetual wandering, according to the earlier Book of Jubilees (chapter 4) Cain settled down, marrying his sister, Awan, resulting in his first son, Enoch (considered to be different from the more famous Enoch), approximately 196 years after the creation of Adam. Cain then established the first city, naming it after his son, built a house, and lived there until it collapsed on him, killing him in the same year that Adam died.

A medieval legend used to say that at the end, Cain arrived at the Moon, where he eternally settled with a bundle of twigs. This was originated by popular fantasy interpreting the shadows on the Moon face. An example of this belief can be found in Dante Alighieri's Inferno (XX, 126^[51]) where the expression "Cain and the twigs" is used as a kenning for "moon".

Legacy and symbolism[link]

In medieval Christian art, particularly in 16th century Germany, Cain is depicted as a stereotypical ringleted, bearded Jew, who killed Abel the blonde, European gentile symbolizing Christ.^[52] This traditional depiction has continued for centuries in some form, such as James Tissot's 19th century Cain leads Abel to Death.

Another view is taken in Latter-day Saint theology, where Cain is considered to be the quintessential Son of Perdition, the father of secret combinations (i.e. secret societies and organized crime), as well as the first to hold the title Master Mahan meaning master of [the] great secret, that [he] may murder and get gain.^[53]

The treatise on Christian Hermeticism, Meditations on the Tarot: A journey into Christian Hermeticism, describes the Biblical account of Cain and Abel as a myth, i.e. it expresses, in a form narrated for a particular case, an "eternal" idea. It shows us how brothers can become mortal enemies through the very fact that they worship the same God in the same way. According to the author, the source of religious wars is revealed. It is not the difference in dogma or ritual which is the cause, but the "pretention to equality" or "the negation of hierarchy".^[54]

Literature[link]

As the first murderer and first murder victim in the Bible, Cain and Abel have often formed the basis of tragic drama. Lord Byron rewrote and dramatized the story in the poem "Cain", viewing Cain as symbolic of a sanguinary temperament, provoked by Abel's hypocrisy and sanctimony.^[52] In Dante's Purgatory Cain is remembered by the souls in Purgatory in Canto XIV (14) on page 153, verse 133 saying "I shall be slain by all who find me!", Cain is facing the punishment that God has visited upon him for the sin of Envy, which is a similar play on the words in Genesis 4:13-14 where he says, "I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden retells the Cain and Abel story in the setting of the late 19th and early 20th century western migration towards California. Also, his novelette Of Mice and Men draws elements from the story. Baudelaire is more sympathetic to Cain in his poem "Abel et Caïn" in the collection Les Fleurs du mal, where he depicts Cain as representing all the downtrodden people of the world. The poem's last lines exhort, "Race de Caïn, au ciel monte/Et sur la terre jette Dieu!" (In English: "Race of Cain, storm up the sky / And cast God down to Earth!") Miguel de Unamuno's Abel Sánchez (1917) is a study on envy. Abel receives everything undeservingly, while his friend Joaquín is despised by God and society and envies him. In Thornton Wilder's play The Skin Of Our Teeth (1942), it is stated that Henry Antrobus' real name is Cain and he accidentally killed his brother Abel with a stone. Kane and Abel is a modern adaptation, a 1979 novel by British author Jeffrey Archer. In 1985, it was made into a CBS television miniseries titled Kane & Abel, starring Peter Strauss as Rosnovski and Sam Neill as Kane. In A Time for Everything (2004) by Karl Ove Knausgård, the story of Cain and Abel is retold with a focus on Cain - an introvert and troubled man who gets the reader's sympathy. In this version, God's favouring of Abel is simultaneously a curse for sneaking into Eden past the Cherubs guarding the gate. It is suggested that Abel in fact wants Cain to kill him, or at least this is what Cain believes - though he later regrets his act, and takes his punishment willingly.

Hermann Hesse briefly discussed the story of Cain and Abel from a non-orthodox point of view in his novel Demian where he also referred to the gnostic group called the Cainites. In Ishmael, Daniel Quinn puts forth the idea of the story of Cain and Abel being an allegory describing the conflict between agricultural and pastoral peoples in the Fertile Crescent.

The author of Dracula, Bram Stoker, revisits the biblical tragedy in his story "The return of Abel Behena" about a fraternal friendship gone awry.

Some form of legacy or curse of the name is often seen in literature: the monster Grendel in Beowulf is a descendant of Cain. In the epilogue to Agatha Christie's novel And Then There Were None, the author refers to the Mark of Cain in laying out the clues. There is a Stephen King short story titled Cain Rose Up, in which a college student goes on a killing spree while ruminating on the story of Cain and Abel. In the DC Comics (Vertigo division) universe, Cain and Abel are a pair of fictional characters based on the Biblical Cain and Abel. Cain is constantly killing off his brother, despite the fact they are both immortals.

In White Wolf's Vampire: The Masquerade RPG, an altered version of Cain's story, sees Cain(e) visited by three angels on separate occasions while wandering the earth, each of whom ask that he repent for his sins, and each of whom curses him (and all his Progeny) when he refuses. Those curses being: weakness to fire and sunlight, a need to drink of the blood of man, and an inner beast to forever torment him from within, thus making him the Progenitor of all Vampire kind, known among themselves as Cainites.^[55]

Cain was traditionally considered to have red hair; the expression "Cain-coloured beard" is used in Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor.^[52] In addition, Shakespeare also references Cain and Abel in Act III Scene iii of Hamlet when Claudius says, "It hath the primal eldest curse upon't/ A brother's murder!" (Lines 40-41).

Their names are often used in works of fiction simply as a reference, also. In Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, the character of Estragon tries to guess the names of two other characters. He guesses Abel and Cain. One of Jason Bourne's many names in The Bourne Identity and its sequels was Cain, an operative name in the Treadstone 71 program.

In Masami Kurumada's comic book Saint Seiya Next Dimension, characters inspired in the biblical story have been recently introduced: The Gemini Gold Saints in the 18th century are named Cain and Abel, both representing good and evil, respectively.

In 2009, Portuguese writer José Saramago wrote a novel entitled Cain, which tells an alternative version of the murder of Abel and the life of Cain afterwards.

Echo, a self-published comic-book series by Terry Moore following the Phi-project, features as an early antagonist a character who claims to be the original, biblical Cain. He spends much of his time speaking to God and frequently screams biblical and religious-themed quotations in his interactions with other characters. After his death, the character Ivy Raven had one of his fingers sent to a laboratory for carbon dating which revealed that he was approximately 25,000 years old, offering the first substantive proof to support the character's claims. Ivy later performs further research on the history of the story of Cain and Abel, and at one point visits Wikipedia; this portion of the comic includes verbatim quotations from this page.

Fantasy author Karl Edward Wagner wrote a series of novels and stories about an immortal red-bearded warrior named Kane, who is clearly modeled on the biblical Cain. In Wagner's story there is a moral inversion where God is an evil ancient astronaut performing genetic experiments on early humans. Kane's brother accepts God's authority, but Kane rises up in heroic defiance, murders his brother, and rejects God. He is cursed with blue eyes that seem to literally glow with hatred and insanity. The Kane stories mostly take place in a fantasy age of Earth's past and are made distinctive by the presence of both magic and alien technology. Wagner wrote several stories that bring the immortal character into the 20th century and which imply that at some point he succeeded in his quest to kill God.

The character Kwai Chang Caine in the television series Kung Fu, is modeled after the character Cain. After killing, Caine is forced to wander the Earth, remorse torn but unrepentant because of his sense of social justice.

There is a song on Marilyn Manson's 2012 album Born Villain titled Children of Cain, which references the biblical character.

See also[link]

• Bible
• Torah
• Qur'an
• Sumer
• The First Mourning
• Balbira & Kalmana

References[link]

External links[link]

Look up fratricide in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Torah, Genesis, Chapters 1-6
• Texts on Wikisource:
  • Bible (Free) / Genesis 4
  • Book of Moses, Chapter 5
  • Cain
  • Abel
• King James Version
• Story of Cain and Abel in Sura The Table (Al Ma'ida)
• Qaheen / Cain and Hevel / Abel
• Parallel voweled Hebrew and King James Version
• Rashi on Genesis, Chapter 4, by Rashi
• Baudelaire's poem in French with English translations underneath

</ref>

Cain Velasquez
Born	Cain Velasquez Ramirez (1982-07-28) July 28, 1982 (age 29) Salinas, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	240 lb (109 kg; 17 st 2 lb)
Division	Heavyweight
Reach	77 in (196 cm)
Style	Boxing, Kickboxing, Wrestling, Guerrilla Jiu Jitsu
Fighting out of	San Jose, California
Team	American Kickboxing Academy
Trainer	Head Trainer: Javier Mendez Strategy Coach: Bob Cook Jiu-Jitsu Coach: Dave Camarillo Boxing Coach: Arturo "Huitzi" Mata Wrestling Coach: Daniel Cormier
Rank	Brown belt in Guerrilla Jiu Jitsu[1]
Wrestling	NCAA Division I Wrestling
Years active	2006–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	11
Wins	10
By knockout	9
By decision	1
Losses	1
By knockout	1
University	Arizona State University Iowa Central Community College
Spouse	Michelle Velásquez
Children	1
Notable school(s)	Kofa High School
Website	Official website
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
last updated on: October 14, 2010

Cain Velasquez Ramirez^[2] (born July 28, 1982) is a Mexican American mixed martial artist fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion.^[3] He is a two-time All-American collegiate wrestler from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, and a Junior College National Champ at Iowa Central Community College.^[4] He is a two-time 5A state champion in Arizona, compiling a record of 110–10 for Kofa High School in Yuma, Arizona.^[5] Cain Velasquez is ranked #2 in the heavyweight division.

Early life[link]

Velasquez, a Mexican American,^[6] was born on July 28, 1982 in Salinas, California to Efrain and Isabel Velasquez. Velasquez's father, Efrain, came from Mexico to the United States illegally. Efrain met his wife Isabel, married her, and gained US citizenship.^[7] Velasquez has two siblings, Efrain, Jr., and Adela. He was raised in Yuma, Arizona.^[2] He graduated from Kofa High School, where he compiled a record of 110–10 in four years of wrestling, including winning the 5A Arizona Wrestling Championship twice. Velasquez also played football for three years. As a senior, he served as Captain of both his wrestling and football teams.^[2]

After high school, he attended Iowa Central Community College, where he earned an Associates degree. He also wrestled for one season and won the NJCAA National Championship. After Iowa Central Community College, Velasquez graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor's degree in Education.^[2] He wrestled there for three seasons and compiled a record of 86–17, placing 5th in the country in 2005, and 4th in 2006. While at ASU, Velasquez also wrestled alongside future UFC fighters Ryan Bader and C.B. Dollaway.^[8]

Mixed martial arts career[link]

Cain began his mixed martial arts career right after college, joining American Kickboxing Academy. Velasquez is a brown belt in Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu and a NCAA Division I Wrestler. He has notable wins over Cheick Kongo, Ben Rothwell, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Brock Lesnar.

Early career[link]

Velasquez made his MMA debut on October 7, 2006 against Jesse Fujarczyk at Strikeforce: Tank vs. Buentello, he won by TKO in the first round. Velasquez then faced Jeremiah Constant at BodogFight: St. Petersburg, he won via TKO in the first round at the 4 minute mark.^[9]

Ultimate Fighting Championship[link]

Velasquez made his UFC debut against Brad Morris at UFC 83 and won due to strikes in the first round.^[10] In his next fight, Velasquez defeated Jake O'Brien at UFC Fight Night 14 by TKO in round one.^[11] Velasquez then faced Denis Stojnić at UFC Fight Night 17 and the fight was stopped in round two with Velasquez earning the victory by TKO. Velasquez also earned Knockout of the Night honors for his performance.^[12] Velasquez's next fight was in UFC 99 against former kickboxer and established UFC heavyweight Cheick Kongo. Velasquez was once again dominant, landing 251 strikes and winning the bout by unanimous decision (30–27 on all cards).^[13]

His next opponent was expected to be Shane Carwin^[14] with the winner likely challenging for the UFC Heavyweight Championship held by Brock Lesnar. However that bout was scrapped^[15] and Velasquez was instead told he would be fighting Ben Rothwell at UFC 104.^[16][17] He defeated Rothwell by second round TKO.^[18]

Velasquez faced former Pride Heavyweight Champion and former Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on February 20, 2010 at UFC 110.^[19] Going into the fight, some commentators predicted that Nogueira would take the victory due to a supposed lack of striking power for Velasquez.^[20] They were proven wrong when Velasquez defeated Nogueira via first round knockout, earning Knockout of the Night honors.^[20]

UFC Heavyweight Champion[link]

Dana White announced via SportsNation that the UFC would be bringing back UFC Primetime to promote Lesnar vs. Velasquez.^[21] Velasquez defeated Brock Lesnar for the UFC Heavyweight Championship via TKO in the first round, earning Knockout of the Night honors.^[22]

Velasquez suffered a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder during his fight with Lesnar at UFC 121 and was expected to be sidelined for at least 6–8 months.^[23] Surgery on the shoulder was successful and Velasquez planned to return as early as Fall 2011.^[24]

Velasquez was expected to make his first title defense against Junior dos Santos, with a target date of November 19, 2011 at UFC 139,^[25] but the fight was later moved to November 12, 2011 to headline the first UFC on Fox 1.^[26]

Velasquez suffered his first loss via KO (punches) at 1 minute and 4 seconds of the first round at the hands of then title contender, Junior dos Santos.

Post title loss[link]

Velasquez was originally set to fight Frank Mir on May 26, 2012 at UFC 146.^[27] However, Mir was moved up to face Junior dos Santos after Alistair Overeem was pulled from the card. Velasquez instead faced Antonio Silva.^[28] Velasquez defeated Silva via first round TKO. Dana White strongly hinted after the fight that Velasquez will be the next fighter to challenge for the Heavyweight Title.^[29]

Personal life[link]

Velasquez speaks English and Spanish. He has been a guest star on the Spanish-language television networks Telemundo and Univision.^[30] In addition to his Spanish-language TV appearances, he was also a featured guest on the TBS late night TV show, Lopez Tonight, starring George Lopez.^[31]

Velasquez and his girlfriend, Michelle, welcomed a daughter on May 6, 2009. The couple married on May 28, 2011.^[32][33]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

[edit] Mixed martial arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time)
  • Knockout of the Night Honors (Three times)

• Inside MMA
  • 2010 Fighter of the Year Bazzie Award

• MMAFighting.com
  • 2010 Fighter of the Year

• MMAjunkie.com
  • 2010 Fighter of the Year^[34]

• Sherdog
  • 2010 Fighter of the Year
  • 2010 All-Violence 1st Team

• MMA Live
  • 2010 Fighter of the Year

[edit] Collegiate wrestling

• National Collegiate Athletic Association
  • NCAA Division I All-American (2005, 2006)
  • Pac-10 Conference Championship (2005, 2006)
  • Pac-10 Conference Wrestler of the Year (2005)
  • NCAA Division I 285 1b – 5th place out of Arizona State University (2005)^[35]
  • NCAA Division I 285 1b – 4th place out of Arizona State University (2006)^[35]
• National Junior College Athletic Association
  • NJCAA Junior Collegiate Championship (2002)
  • NJCAA All-American (2002)
• USA Wrestling
  • FILA Junior Freestyle World Team Trials Winner (2002)
  • ASICS Tiger High School All-American (2001)
  • Western Junior Freestyle Regional Championship (2001)
  • Western Junior Greco-Roman Regional Championship (2001)
• Arizona Interscholastic Association
  • AIA Division I High School State Championship (2000, 2001)
  • AIA 5A Conference Championship (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001)

Mixed martial arts record[link]

See also[link]

• List of current UFC fighters
• List of male mixed martial artists

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official UFC Profile
• Cain Velasquez's profile at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
• Arizona State Wrestling Bio
• Cain Velasquez on Twitter
• Cain Velasquez at the Internet Movie Database
• Professional MMA record for Cain Velasquez from Sherdog
• Cain Velasquez Heavy Weight Belt Loss

Medal record
Competitor for  United States
Men's freestyle wrestling
World Championships
Bronze	2007 Baku	-96 kg
Pan American Games
Bronze	2007 Rio de Janeiro	-96 kg
Gold	2003 Santo Domingo	-96 kg
Pan American Championships
Gold	2002 Maracaibo	-96 kg

Daniel Cormier (born March 20, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist and a former Olympic wrestler. He is currently signed to Strikeforce, fighting in the heavyweight division. Cormier is ranked #4 in the heavyweight division by Fight Matrix.

Biography[link]

Cormier is the son of Joseph and Audrey Cormier.^[1] He has an older brother named Joseph and a sister named Felicia.^[1] When Cormier was seven, his father was shot and killed on Thanksgiving Day in 1986 by the father of his second wife.^[1]

He was a three-time Louisiana wrestling state champion in high school and high school All-American. In high school, Northside High School, he suffered only two losses after his freshman year, both coming in injury defaults. He had a 101–9 record during his high school career and was also an All-State performer in football.^[2] After high school he attended Colby Community College where he was a two-time junior college national champion. After Colby he transferred to wrestling powerhouse Oklahoma State University where he was an NCAA runner-up, losing to Cael Sanderson in the finals.

Since graduating from college Daniel was on 5 United States world wrestling teams and the 2004 Olympic wrestling team, ending in 4th place, after losing to Khadjimourat Gatsalov in the semi-finals.^[3] Daniel was also a member of the 2008 Olympic wrestling team for the USA, where he was named team captain, but did not compete due to kidney failure.^[4] Daniel also competed and represented the Oklahoma Slam team in the now defunct Real Pro Wrestling league and was crowned a champion in the first and only season in the 211 lb weight class. While he competed in Real Pro Wrestling, he was also teammates with fellow Strikeforce mixed martial arts competitor Muhammed Lawal, who also was a season 1 champion, in the 184 lb weight class. At Oklahoma State University he earned a degree in Sociology.

Mixed martial arts[link]

He decided to pursue a career in mixed martial arts, in the heavyweight division. He has trained with Cain Velasquez, Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck at American Kickboxing Academy.^[5] Cormier signed an eight-fight deal with the Strikeforce organization and made his professional debut at Strikeforce Challengers: Kennedy vs. Cummings,^[6] defeating Gary Frazier by TKO. In his second MMA fight Cormier defeated John Devine via first round KO. Cormier was the wrestling coach on The Ultimate Fighter 12 alongside Josh Koscheck with whom he wrestled at the NCAA Finals.

After a shortage of fights for Strikeforce, Cormier traveled to Australia and fought for Xtreme MMA. He defeated Lucas Browne to win the XMMA Heavyweight title on July 31. Just two weeks later he won his second MMA championship by winning the KOTC Heavyweight title on August 13 from Tony Johnson. He landed a solid punch on Johnson in the first round, causing his larger opponent to shoot in, but Cormier quickly gained the advantage with superior wrestling and Grappling and won the fight via rear naked choke. Just 8 days later he forced Jason Riley to tap out due to strikes at Strikeforce: Houston. He most recently defended the XMMA title in November 2010 against Soa Palelei. He won via submission to punches yet again in the first round, but broke his hand during the fight.

Cormier next fought Devin Cole at the Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Saffiedine event on January 7, 2011, in Nashville, Tennessee.^[7] He won via unanimous decision, the first time a fight of his has gone the distance. Cormier was to face Shane del Rosario at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum on June 18, 2011, in Dallas, Texas,^[8] but his opponent was involved in a car accident and withdrew from the bout. Cormier instead faced Jeff Monson and won via a decision. Cormier used his striking to dominate Monson on the feet and didn't allow for any takedowns, negating Monson's submission ability.

Cormier faced Antonio Silva on September 10, 2011 at Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov, replacing Alistair Overeem.^[9] In a shocking upset, he won the fight via KO (punches) in the first round, catching Silva with multiple hits to the jaw, causing him to collapse, and then finishing with two hammer blows to the face of the grounded Silva before the ref could stop the fight. Cormier later revealed that he broke his hand during the fight.^[10]

He faced fellow finalist Josh Barnett on May 19, 2012 at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier.^[11] Cormier dominated the five round fight, winning the Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship and Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Championship by unanimous decision. He beat Barnett convincingly by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46).

Personal life[link]

Cormier had one daughter, Kaedyn Imri Cormier, who died in a car accident on June 14, 2003.^[1] He was married to a woman named Robin.^[1] On February 16, 2011, he and his girlfriend had a son Daniel Ryan Cormier II, they are expecting a second child in March. Cain Velasquez and Todd Duffee are among his good friends within the sport of MMA.

Championships and accomplishments[link]

Mixed martial arts[link]

• Strikeforce
  • Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship (One time; current)
  • Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion

• King of the Cage
  • KOTC Heavyweight Championship (One time)

• Xtreme MMA
  • XMMA Heavyweight Championship (One time; Current)

• Inside MMA
  • 2011 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year Bazzie Award

• ESPN
  • 2011 Upset of the Month vs. Antonio Silva on September 10

• Bleacher Report
  • 2011 MMA All-Star Second Team

Professional wrestling[link]

• Real Pro Wrestling
  • RPW Season One 211 lb National Championship

Amateur wrestling[link]

• International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles
  • 2008 USA Senior Freestyle Olympic Team Captain
  • 2007 FILA Wrestling World Championships Senior Freestyle Bronze Medalist
  • 2007 Pan American Games Senior Freestyle Bronze Medalist
  • 2007 Dave Schultz Memorial International Open Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
  • 2005 Super Cup Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist
  • 2005 World Cup Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist
  • 2005 Ivan Yarygin Memorial Tournament Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
  • 2004 Boutiatyr Grand Prix Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
  • 2003 FILA Absolute Championship Senior Freestyle Bronze Medalist
  • 2003 Ivan Yarygin Cup Senior Freestyle Bronze Medalist
  • 2003 Pan American Games Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
  • 2002 Medved International Championships Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
  • 2002 Sunkist Kids/ASU International Open Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
  • 2002 Pan American Championships Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
  • 2002 Dave Schultz Memorial International Open Senior Freestyle Bronze Medalist
  • 2001 Sunkist Kids International Open Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
  • 2001 Dave Schultz Memorial International Open Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
  • 1995 FILA Wrestling World Championships Cadet Greco-Roman Bronze Medalist

• USA Wrestling
  • USA Senior Freestyle Olympic Team Trials Winner (2004, 2008)
  • FILA Senior Freestyle World Team Trials Winner (2005, 2006, 2007)
  • FILA Senior Freestyle World Team Trials Runner-up (2001, 2002)
  • USA Senior Freestyle National Championship (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
  • Northwest Senior Freestyle Regional Championship (2008)
  • John Smith Freestyle Wrestler of the Year Award (2007)
  • ASICS Tiger High School All-American (1996, 1997)

• National Collegiate Athletic Association
  • NCAA Division I Collegiate National Championship Runner-up (2001)
  • NCAA Division I All-American (2001)
  • Big 12 Conference Championship Runner-up (2000, 2001)

• National Junior College Athletic Association
  • NJCAA Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee (2009)
  • NJCAA Junior Collegiate National Championship (1998, 1999)
  • NJCAA All-American (1998, 1999)

• National High School Coaches Association
  • NHSCA Senior High School National Championship 3rd Place (1997)
  • NHSCA Senior All-American (1997)

• Louisiana High School Athletic Association
  • LHSAA Division I High School State Championship (1995, 1996, 1997)
  • LHSAA Division I All-State (1995, 1996, 1997)

Mixed martial arts record[link]

See also[link]

• List of current mixed martial arts champions
• List of current Strikeforce fighters

References[link]

External links[link]

• Professional MMA record for Daniel Cormier from Sherdog
• Daniel Cormier profile at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
• Olympic profile at sports-reference.com