"It's My Time Now"

Deep in the heart of the Acer Arena in Sydney, Cain Velasquez waited.

He was thousands of miles from his home and loved ones, preparing to fight in the main event of a major UFC show for the first time in his career. In a few short minutes, Velasquez would walk down the aisle to face his toughest challenge yet. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira became a icon in the sport by defying the odds, by taking enough punishment to fell a horse and still pull out miraculous victories. Nogueira was struck by a car as a child, a terrible accident that few believed he’d survive. But Nogueira was a fighter, and the only physical reminder of that day was the deep scar crossing his back. He was still considered to be one of the top fight heavyweights in the world, and his game was on a different level than anything Velasquez had seen thus far.

By Loretta Hunt
Sherdog.com

The UFC heavyweight title picture just got more crowded, as Cain Velasquez emerged a bona fide contender at UFC 110 on Sunday after his first-round technical knockout of fighting legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in Sydney, Australia.

Velasquez, 27, a two-time All-American for Arizona State University, never needed to lean on his wrestling pedigree, instead catching the former Pride and UFC interim champion with a right hand that sent the Brazilian to the canvas for the stoppage at 2 minutes, 20 seconds into the first round.

Velasquez outguns Nogueira in Round 1

By Brian Knapp
Sherdog.com

The undefeated Cain Velasquez handed Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira a savage beating in the UFC 110 "Nogueira versus Velasquez" main event on Saturday at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.

Velasquez brought a decisive end to the one-sided heavyweight match, as he buried the Brazilian legend under a volley of violent strikes 2 minutes, 20 seconds into the first round.

Velasquez never let Nogueira get out of the gate. He landed thudding leg kicks throughout the brief encounter and then went to work upstairs. The American Kickboxing Academy thoroughbred leveled Nogueira with a two-punch combination before finishing him with five unanswered punches on the ground.

"I trained hard for this fight, for the stand-up part of it," Velasquez said. "We were planning on pushing the pace wherever we could. Stay on the outside, work the stand-up, and, when the takedown was there, take it. Just kind of keep him off balance the whole time."