As my mom used to preach, ‘Tattoos are forever and you’ll always have to explain why you got what you got and why you decided to put it there.’ The same holds true for celebrities, only to a much greater extent. Famous people can get criticized and chastised for their body art because it’s on display for the entire planet to see.
Former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez (Pictured) can’t seem to shake the stigma surrounding the “Brown Pride” tat he has plastered across his chest.
Some have taken offense to Velasquez’s tattoo by claiming that it’s racist. The argument is that if a Caucasian-American was sporting a “White Pride” chest stamp, he’d be crucified at the stake.
Cain was born in Salinas, California, so the 30-year-old is technically a Mexican-American. Although, Velasquez has always remained true to his Latino heritage.
According to the humble heavyweight, the ink signifies the sacrifices his parents made in order for him to have the opportunity to pursue a better life. However, Velasquez is tired of having to defend his tattoo around every turn.
“That’s definitely a big question that everybody brings up,” Velasquez admitted during Wednesday’s press conference. “It’s just like any other question, you answer it a 100 times.”
While Velasquez didn’t have much to say about the controversial stamp, UFC president Dana White blasted those who believe his employee’s tattoo means anything other than his love for his own heritage.
“People who have a problem with the ‘Brown Pride’ tattoo are morons,” an irritated White chimed in. “Come on. It says ‘Brown Pride.’ Big deal. The guy’s proud to be Mexican. I lived in Boston, every Italian was walking around with something Italian on their body. Every guy who was Irish had some Irish tattoo on him, and the list goes on and on.
“It’s ridiculous. This kind of stuff pisses me off. I hate it.”
Velasquez and his ‘Brown Pride’ tattoo will be challenging reigning heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos for his hardware Saturday at UFC 155.
Original Story:
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December 27, 2012
