No. 1 Contender Velasquez To Appear on "Fighting Words with Mike Straka" this Friday on HDNet

Velasquez Opens Up About "Brown Pride" and his Fight with Brock Lesnar: Friday, October 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET on HDNet

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Number one UFC Heavyweight contender Cain Velasquez - who faces champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 on October 23rd - has taken a lot of heat over the years for his "Brown Pride" tattoo, but he tells Mike Straka on this Friday's edition of "Fighting Words" that he got it to honor his parents, who are migrant farm workers who emigrated from Mexico.

"I got the tattoo for all the hard work they did to come over here to this country," he said. "They wanted to raise their family here, for a better life for us. Another reason, growing up, I didn't really have anybody that I could look up to in the media. I never thought that I could be in the limelight or play professional sports. So the reason I got the "Brown Pride" was to show people like me that it can be done."

Velasquez also tells Straka he's not too concerned about Lesnar's submission victory over Shane Carwin in his last title defense.

"I'm pretty well aware of what could happen if he gets me in that type of submission," says Velasquez. "I know what to do to get out. I've worked a lot on my submissions to know what's bad and what's good."

Velasquez (8-0) knocked out submission specialist Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira in his last bout.

Velasquez, the 240-pound, former NCAA All American from Arizona State, also opens up to Straka about being a father, and proposing to his fiancée while walking on the beach in Sydney, Australia.

"Fighting Words with Mike Straka" airs every Friday on HDNet at 8:30pm ET on HDNet - your home for MMA!

About HDNet
HDNet (www.hd.net) is the independent network with unique and thought-provoking content that appeals to men of all ages and is delivered in true high definition.

HDNet is the exclusive, high definition home for popular, original programming, including television's only HD news feature programs "HDNet World Report," and the Emmy Award winning "Dan Rather Reports," featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather. Only HDNet goes beyond the headlines to deliver real news that is redefining the way we look at our world. HDNet News is provocative, sometimes controversial and always relevant - telling the important stories of our time in-depth, with attitude and with independence. HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to critically acclaimed and award winning documentaries as part of the InFocus series. "NASA on HDNet" presents all live shuttle launches through 2010.

HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring the best of Mixed Martial Arts with its Friday night series, "HDNet Fights" (www.hdnetfights.com). "HDNet Fights" works with leading MMA promoters including DREAM, Sengoku, King of the Cage, XFC, M-1, K-1, K-1 Max, MFC, Adrenaline and more. HDNet produces more live Mixed Martial Arts events than any other network and HDNet's "Inside MMA" is the hottest Mixed Martial Arts program on television, giving MMA fans their weekly fix for everything MMA, while "Fighting Words with Mike Straka," goes one-on-one with some of the biggest names in the sport. HDNet also features regular season games from the newly formed United Football League.

HDNet also delivers the world's largest and most diverse concert line-up through the HDNet Concert Series. The HDNet Concert Series features leading artists and bands including Paul McCartney, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Nickelback and more. HDNet also features revealing lifestyle programming featuring "Art Mann Presents," "Girls Gone Wild," "Deadline" and "Get Out!"

Only HDNet Movies (www.hdnetmovies.com) delivers exclusive Sneak Previews of new movies before they hit theaters. The HDNet Movies Sneak Preview series features top Hollywood stars in critically acclaimed performances including Gwyneth Paltrow, Joaquin Phoenix, Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Tom Hanks, Vera Farmiga, Parker Posey, Brian Cox, Matthew Broderick, Brittany Snow, Eric Bana, John Malkovich, Emily Blunt, Robin Williams, Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger.

In addition to being the exclusive home of Sneak Previews, HDNet Movies viewers enjoy the best films from the classics of the 1950s-1970s, to favorite films from the 1980s and 1990s, to recently released theatrical films.

HDNet Movies offers subscribers a premium movie viewing experience in true HD, and more original movies shot entirely in HD than any other network.

Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, and Verizon FiOS.

The HDNet networks can be followed via Facebook at facebook.com/HDNet, facebook.com/HDNetFights and facebook.com/HDNetMovies and via Twitter at twitter.com/hdnet, twitter.com/hdnetfights and twitter.com/hdnetmovies.