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Sat Oct 24, 2009 1:15 pm EDT

Some fans take issue with Velasquez's 'Brown Pride' tattoo

By Steve Cofield

Mexicans and Mexican-Americans have long been a huge factor in combat sports, mainly boxing in the middle and lower weight classes. The trickle over to mixed martial arts has slowly developed with fighters like Roger Huerta, Efrain Escudero, Diego Sanchez and tonight's UFC 104 co-main event fighter, Cain Velasquez.

All four of those guys proudly proclaim that they have Mexican roots. It's no different than recent boxing stars like Oscar De La Hoya, Fernando Vargas, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, yet Velasquez strikes a chord with some with his visual statement of pride. Velasquez has "Brown Pride" emblazoned across his chest. The Las Vegas Review-Journal did a piece on Velasquez where he talked about the roots for the tattoo:

"I did it (as a tribute to) my dad and all he did to get over here. He gave me something to look up to when I was little," Velasquez said. "I'm proud of my roots and where I come from. We're hard workers. I love that. I love everything about my culture."

Velasquez said his father crossed the border illegally and was deported several times before finally settling in Salinas, Calif., and starting a family.

The illegal crossing mention brings out the crazies on the internet. Here is one of the many anti-Hispanic messages posted on the LVRJ comment page, from something called la grande lumiere:

Velasquez looks up tp this father, an illegal immigrant. I can understand a son revering his father. It is a nice touch. If his father had not immigrated illegally, then Cain would not have had the advantages, such as attending college (All American at Arizona State)and being groomed for his athletic career. No, he would be sitting in the dirt in Mexico just another Mexican in a dirt poor country.

Don't you think he owes some pride and patriotism to the United States of America? I do. Until he does admit some fondness for this country, his efforts will fall on deaf ears. Who cares about an ethnic person who shows no gratitude to America?

Has Velasquez consistently disrespected his U.S. roots, or is this another jackass judging the kid's character based on a couple of comments in a story and a tattoo? Who cares? No one would have an issue with Phil Baroni (Italian-American) or Marcus Davis (Irish-American) if they had some pro-ethnic tattoo, so what's the problem with Velasquez? Clearly, the complaints come from folks with a deeper-seeded hate.

Dana White won't say it outright, but Velasquez's tattoo and cultural pride could prove to be big business for the UFC:

"The one key thing about Cain Velasquez in that (Mexican) market is they've never had a heavyweight champion in anything. So if this guy can win the heavyweight championship, it would be big."

The promotion launched a huge television deal in Mexico earlier this year, airing pay-per-views for free which will reach an upwards of 60-70 million people. It can only help if Velasquez moves closer to a title shot against Brock Lesnar, if he can take out Ben Rothwell tonight.

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87 Comments

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  1. steve
    1. Posted by steve Sat Oct 24, 2009 1:39 pm EDT

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    Did you just start following MMA last week cause people do have issues with Davis(Hardy,Liaudin)and Baroni's nick name is The NEW YORK Bad Ass.Why do always assume people are rascists cause they comment on something and to assume NO ONE would have a problem.How do you know what everyone thinks?If your white you cant an opinion in Cofields eyes.What a hack!!!
  2. Hitman
    2. Posted by Hitman Sat Oct 24, 2009 2:20 pm EDT

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    Steve Cofield. Personally, I don't care if someone feels the need to turn their body into a lifelong walking billboard. It is their choice. But, I can understand when others take umbridge to what the "walking billboard" says. So here is a question for you- How do you think the Mexican population would react to YOU going to Mexico , live there illegally, raise a family, and then have one of your children getting and wearing a tattoo saying "White Power"? Please reply.
  3. PaddyRite
    3. Posted by PaddyRite Sat Oct 24, 2009 2:26 pm EDT

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    So, would it be alright for a fighter to have a large "white pride" tattooed across his chest?, maybe Brock Lesnar or Todd Duffy?. Or is that considered blatant racialism?.
    But, then Latino's largest political organization in the US is called "La Raza", which means "the race".
    So, implied "brown" supremacy is actual pride, and any declaration of this by anglo-file European descendants is racist.
    Interesting
  4. barnes0897@...
    4. Posted by barnes0897@... Sat Oct 24, 2009 2:29 pm EDT

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    Does anyone not realize that Brown Pride is a hispanic street gang. They are very large in Nashville, TN. Great investigative journalism. He is a gang banger.
  5. Deep Time
    5. Posted by Deep Time Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:05 pm EDT

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    YETagain another inflammatory blog to excite every closet hater on the blogosphere...Bordering on the truly inane and unimportant..Unless it's some white dude then we got a case for racisim...
  6. wow
    6. Posted by wow Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:11 pm EDT

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    i dont think illegal immigration is really a problem, but it seems to me that if you wanna display how proud you are to be a mexican then maybe you should live in mexico right? i mean imagine how retarded it would look if a white guy who lived in mexico walked around with white pride or american pride tattooed on their chest. plus, hes not even a mexican, hes an american of mexican heritage. theres a big difference. its not like african people act anything like the black people in america, or asians act like asian-americans. i mean people always talk about europe like its so vastly different but where do you think all the white people in america came from? they can all trace their roots to europe, yet obviously theres a huge difference in the experience of living here or in europe. it just seems weird to have pride in something you've never really experienced.
    plus, how are you honoring your father by getting a tattoo that represents what he was trying so hard to get away from. his father came over illegally several times to leave mexico so of course the fitting tattoo is one that represents mexico. thats like a cuban refugee getting castros face tattooed on his chest.
  7. Erik K
    7. Posted by Erik K Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:15 pm EDT

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    You people are ignorant. There is a distinct difference in the words "Pride" and "Power". And not everyone that has a tattoo is a gang banger. Yes, there are gangs that go by the name "Brown Pride", but saying Velasquez is a gang banger because he has that tatoo is like saying I'm a satanist if I have some type of demonic tattoo. The man said he did for his father, he's proud of his heritage, as every person should be. He never once said anything bad about America, he never showed to be un-patriotic. Yes, his father was here illegaly, but in those days, this country's agricultural industry would be crippled without those illegal immigrants to to do the work that everyone else was to proud to do for the salary it provided. His father came here and survived to build a better opportunity for his children, commend him for that. Did he do it illegaly? Maybe, but so did the generations of grandfather's and great-grandfathers of Irish, Italian, British Americans that we all descend from. Unless you are a Native American descendant, then you too are the fruit of immigration and should just let the man be proud of his heritage. Look at yourself before you throw stones.
  8. D. Witt
    8. Posted by D. Witt Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:16 pm EDT

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    The dude didn't sound very crazy to me. I mean, the dude did get here illegally, use our public schools, go to our colleges (probably on scholarship), and is now striving in an American sport. He does owe some pride to America tbh.
    And if there was a white fighter with "White Pride" on his chest, you know he wouldn't be allowed to ever fight in the UFC.
  9. KJ-MMA Armchair
    9. Posted by KJ-MMA Armchair Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:20 pm EDT

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    George Carlin handled this years ago.
    I saw a slogan on a guys car that said "Proud to be an American" and I thought "What the f**k does that mean?"
    I'm fully Irish, and when I was a kid I would go to the St Patrick's Day parade and they sold a button that said "Proud to be Irish", but I knew that on Columbus day they sold the same button only it said "Proud to be Italian", then came Black Pride, and Puerto Rican Pride. And I could never understand national or ethnic pride, because to me Pride should be reserved for something you achieve on your own.
    Being Irish isn't a skill, it's a f**king genetic accident.
    You wouldn't be proud to be 5'11". You wouldn't be proud to have a pre-disposition for colon cancer.
  10. D. Witt
    10. Posted by D. Witt Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:21 pm EDT

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    Erik K, my dad didn't come here illegally. My ancestors came over to America when immigration from Germany to the USA was legal. So, how am or anyone else (who most likely has ancestors who immigrated legally) throwing stones?
  11. Deep Time
    11. Posted by Deep Time Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:25 pm EDT

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    HAHHAHAHAH That's funny KJ.....Finally some real sense to the freaking senseless....
  12. Rizen
    12. Posted by Rizen Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:27 pm EDT

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    I am white and could care less....But on the same note if it was a white fighter with "White Pride" he would be labeled a racist..... There is a double standard.
  13. Snappa
    13. Posted by Snappa Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:48 pm EDT

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    It is not the "White Power" "White Pride" tattoo that is a problem. The problem is the ppl that used those in the past and even today. KKK, Neo Nazi's, skinheads all self admitted racists use that as a slogan. Do you think Nuns Across Many Borders Loving All are gonna use N.A.M.B.L.A. as an acronym? (yes i made that group up)
    As Ryan W pointed out if someone had Italian Pride or Irish Pride no one would have a problem.
    It is NOT a double standard. If real racists never used it as their slogan then ppl would not have a problem with it.
    Well you can always try caucasion pride. That probably would work.
  14. thizz
    14. Posted by thizz Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:59 pm EDT

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    Anyone who agrees with HITMAN, or anything else that tries to claim that Cains tattoo is racist, is seriously ignorant. Don't act like such morons people, does anyone know their history!!! U guys are like an ignorant plague, trying to compare and [profane] like the spoiled white americans you are.
  15. Justin Case
    15. Posted by Justin Case Sat Oct 24, 2009 4:27 pm EDT

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    First of all, all Mexican's are not 'brown.' Many are 'white.' And more than a few are 'black.' So the tattoo cannot represent 'Mexican' pride.
    Second of all, Mr. Brown Pride appears to be partly of European ancestry. So is he proud of his father's color, but not of the color of his European ancestors? He would not even exist without those 'white' ancestors.
    He's proud of his law-breaking daddy? He should be ashamed. No doubt, those of various 'white' ethnicities also came to America illegally. The difference is, neither they nor their descendents wore that fact as a badge of honor. Instead they became a grateful, productive part of America, proud of being Americans.
    Fourth, if he is so into his 'brown' heritage, why does he retain the label (last name) of the 'white' Conquistador.
    Does he favor speaking Spanish over speaking English? If so, why would Mr. Brown Pride care about which European Language he speaks? Shouldn't he be speaking the language of his 'brown' ancestors? Is he ashamed of that part of his daddy's ancestry?
    I feel sorry for him. He was probably picked on by little 'white' boys when he was growing up.
  16. Birdman
    16. Posted by Birdman Sat Oct 24, 2009 4:30 pm EDT

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    WHO CARES??????? or how about BIG DEAL????????? Are we really discussing tattoos? Every guy over the age of 17 has a tattoo, we could spend the next 300 years talking about what they mean.
  17. jayyolf1
    17. Posted by jayyolf1 Sat Oct 24, 2009 4:40 pm EDT

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    Double Standard!!!! "WHITE PRIDE" would be seen as racist.........stupid!
  18. jayyolf1
    18. Posted by jayyolf1 Sat Oct 24, 2009 4:42 pm EDT

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    Personally I could care less, it is a free country and a man can tat whatever he wants to on himself. I would just like to see more "American Pride" from these non-white ethnicities
  19. swrestler
    19. Posted by swrestler Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:11 pm EDT

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    The quote in the main blog of the article hit the nail RIGHT on the head...
  20. The Slothman
    20. Posted by The Slothman Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:32 pm EDT

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    Big difference between an ethnic tatto( i.e. an Irish , italian, or Mexican flag tat) and a tat that reads brown pride. If GSP had a tat across his chest that said WHITE PRIDE do you think no one would have an issue? of course they would, the problem with modern correctness is it only goes 1 way.
  21. Hitman
    21. Posted by Hitman Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:46 pm EDT

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    thizz- Spoiled americans that we are? By the way, where did I allude to his tattoo being racist? I just asked the question- How would the Mexican people feel if an American living in Mexico got and walked around with a tattoo saying "White Power"? Apparently you don't know how to comprehend English. As far as "ignorant plague" goes, correct me if I am wrong, but the only plague I see is millions of illegal immigrants crossing our borders, setting up barrios and bleeding the American taxpayer funded programs which are being used to support them. Furthermore, if these illegal immigrants were not here America would not have to be dealing with this immigrant problem. If that was the case, then us spoiled Americans could have the United States to ourselves and the rest of the world could look elsewhere to get their free ride.
  22. JuiceFlo
    22. Posted by JuiceFlo Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:51 pm EDT

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    Barnes, I didn't know that gangsters wrestled at Division 1 colleges and get inducted into the NCAA wrestling Hall of Fame. Must be a new gang initiation thing. Lol. He is not a gangster and people are reading way too much into a tattoo. Let's stick to the his abilities and Ben's. I am a huge Cain fan but I think Ben is a bigger threat than Kongo cause he is more well-rounded than Kongo. It's going to be an interesting fight. Go Cain!
  23. JuiceFlo
    23. Posted by JuiceFlo Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:55 pm EDT

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    My mistake. Cain is in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
  24. Ducky
    24. Posted by Ducky Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:21 pm EDT

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    It's ignorant to say Cain is in a gang because of his tattoo. It's also ignorant to say there ins't a double standard in this country.
    Cain isnt' saying Mexican Pride, hes saying Brown Pride.
    Give an example like Marcus Davis (or any other white fighter). It is shown as Irish Pride not White pride.
    Let's not forget that most of the Irish are here legally, helped build the country to what it is today, have lived in America for generations, and contribute to society. Saying they are proud to be Irish is an attempt to regain their long lost culture
    There is a huge illegal issue, especially from Mexico. Being a first generation American and having "Brown Pride" tattood across your chest is a slap in the face considering this issue. If he so proud, go there and live. It's not like he is so far removed, being a first generation Mexican-American, that he can't move back to Mexico.

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