One of the first things you notice when UFC heavyweight Cain Velasquez enters the octagon is the tattoo spread above his chest. The ink reads ``Brown Pride'' and it's body art that Velasquez wears proudly.

The 27-year-old native of Salinas, Calif., does battle Saturday night as part of UFC 104 in Los Angeles when he takes on Ben Rothwell of Wisconsin.

For Velasquez, it's not only a chance to score an impressive win and earn a title shot against the winner of the Brock Lesnar-Shane Carwin bout in November, but also an opportunity to carve his name among influential Latinos in the United States.

``Growing up I didn't have anyone from my ethnicity to look up to in my sport,'' Velasquez said. ``It's great now that I'm getting recognition from the Latino fans. I do everything in my power to give them exciting fights. It's nice to look up to someone who grew up the same way as you.''

Velasquez's father emigrated from Mexico to the U.S. seven times. The seventh was the final trek. Velasquez's father's mission to better his life in a new country is something that motivates him as a fighter.

``We [Hispanics] fight for everything,'' Velasquez said. ``We have that fighting spirit in our blood. We do everything with pure heart, and that's why I fight the way I fight because I know where my parents came from.''

Velasquez's parents met in the fields of Yuma, Ariz., while picking lettuce. His mother was born in Fresno but lived in Mexico when she was 18. She later came back in her late 20s. Velasquez saw what his parents went through working under the Southwest sun day in and day out. It makes the profession of giving and receiving punishment look rather easy.

``What they do is hard work. I basically work out for a living,'' Velasquez said. ``I did it for a couple of summers and it's not fun work. It's the only job a lot of Mexicans can get when they first get to the states. It's crappy work, but it's work, and they do what they can to keep their families afloat.''

His mother and father no longer work in the fields. His mother now works from home, while his dad works for the same company, but as a truck driver making a much better wage.

Seeing what his parents had to go through to achieve their American dream, and looking back at the way he grew up, drives Velasquez. His ultimate goal is to become heavyweight champion, and just as his parents set their sights on accomplishing a better life, Velasquez's eyes are set on the prize.

``I don't take anything for granted,'' Velasquez said. ``I saw the hard work my parents put in, the effort they made in everything they did. I take that into the octagon every time. I work hard to make it big in this sport. I work my butt off. It's the mentality my parents had, and it's what I need to do to be the best in the sport, and I'm not stopping until I accomplish that.''

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