Cain Velasquez: "I think it's my time now, and I'm ready for it."

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From his very first UFC appearance, undefeated heavyweight contender Cain Velasquez has been under a microscope. The impressive former NCAA Division I All-American came into the Octagon alongside fellow big-time prospects Shane Carwin and Brock Lesnar, and while the pressure of heavy expectations has caused lesser men to wilt, he's not showing any signs of slowing down.

Far from it.

While it may be a common cliche to say that each time a fighter competes we are going to see, "the best version of them yet," in Velasquez's case it has proven to be true.

When the proud Hispanic knocked out the legendary Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira a little over two minutes into the first round of their fight at UFC 110, he put the rest of the heavyweight division on notice: the zero at the end of his career record is no fluke.

"I realized during training that this was a much bigger fight for me," Velasquez told Heavy.com. "I wouldn't say there was more pressure, but it did feel a little different. It was a big step up compared to the other guys that I've fought against. But on the day of the fight, I was a lot more calm than I usually am. Even walking out to the Octagon, I wasn't as nervous as I usually am. And it was a good feeling for me, because I'm usually pretty nervous during that time."

Despite his intense training leading up to the fight, Velasquez was surprised by his quick finish over Nogueira, a man he deeply respects.

"In all my fights, I expect a three round fight," Velasquez stated. "I train for a fight that goes back and forth. I never expected to go in there and have the fight finish like that. I never expected to go in there and have it end up with the ref stopping it like he did. I always have it in my head that we're going to fight to the end."

The victory over Nogueira instantly vaulted Velasquez into heavyweight title contender status, and silenced critics who thought he would meet his match against a truly elite fighter. In fact, Velasquez was so impressive that UFC president Dana White named him as an alternate should an injury sideline the winner of the upcoming match-up between Frank Mir and Shane Carwin at UFC 111. That fight is set to determine the next heavyweight challenger for champion Brock Lesnar.

But, however it comes, Velasquez is content to wait for his chance at the belt.

"I feel like I'm right there," said Velasquez. "But do I feel like I've done enough to outdo Frank or Shane? Have I done enough to outdo them or to outshine them? No. They earned their spot and they're fighting for a shot at Brock Lesnar. They earned it. But I'm in that same category now, so I'll just have to wait and see what happens with that fight. I think that for me, the best bet would be to wait. I think it's my time now, and I'm ready for it. That's what I want right now. That's the reason I got into the sport, to get a shot at the title, to fight for that top spot. I can wait."