🚨 Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain
Velasquez is entering the court room to receive his sentence for
attempted murder.He already plead no contest.
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Prosecutors asked for 25 years to life. Defense asked for no prison
time. pic.twitter.com/vvG06F0cT3
— Combat Casuals (@Combat_Casuals)
March 24, 2025
Former
UFC heavyweight champion Cain
Velasquez was sentenced to five years in prison during a
hearing at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice in San Jose,
California, on Monday, according to a report from NBC Sports Bay Area.
Velasquez was present in court Monday after
pleading no contest to attempted murder, felony assault and
additional gun charges stemming from a February 2022 incident in
which the former fighter fired a gun at a truck containing multiple
people. During a high-speed chase, Velasquez shot at the vehicle
containing Harry Goularte, who was accused of molesting Velasquez’s
son. One of the shots hit and injured Goularte’s stepfather, Paul
Bender.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors asked Judge Arthur
Bocanegra give Velasquez 30 years to life in prison, while the
defense lobbied for no time in prison. Velasquez will also get
credit for 1,283 days of time served. The sentencing brings an end
to a case that lasted three years and experienced multiple delays.
Goularte, meanwhile, has pleaded not guilty to one charge of lewd
acts with a minor. His trial is currently set for June 2.
BREAKING: UFC champ Cain Velasquez was
sentenced to 5 years in prison, with 1,283 days credit for time
served. The judge was choked up and had tears in his eyes. He said
keeping a son from his father was the worst punishment, and he gave
Cain the lightest possible sentence. pic.twitter.com/tnqPaHZtiQ— Amy Larson (@AmyLarson25)
March 24, 2025
Velasquez spent approximately eight months in jail before he
released on $1 million bail in November 2022. He remained under
GPS surveillance and was not allowed to leave his home without the
court’s permission, which was granted on multiple occasions to
attend professional wrestling and MMA events.
During an interview on the Kyle
Kingsbury Podcast prior to sentencing, Velasquez said that he
was ready to accept responsibility for his actions.
“From what I can say as far as myself, the way that I handled
things was not the way to do it,” Velasquez said (transcription via
MMAjunkie.com ). “We cannot put the law in our
own hands. … I’ve already pled [no contest], so I’m going to get a
sentencing [Monday]. I know what I did, and I know what I did was
very dangerous to other people, you know? Not just people involved,
but to innocent people. I understand what I did and I’m willing to
do everything I have to (in order) to pay that back. Whatever the
court feels correct for what I have to do, I’m going to do it with
my head up and still be me and not play the blame game. It was me
that did that and reacted in that way.
“What I did was not correct,” Velasquez added. “I understand that.
I paid and I’ll pay whatever else as far as what I have to do to
pay all that back. I don’t think I can pay it back, but I can
always learn from my mistakes and help others. It’s just
information that you never know anybody. Trust your kids. Have that
open communication with your kids. When you do go to the bathroom
with them when [they’re] very young, you can work your way in there
as far as talking to them about what’s appropriate and what is not,
so they know to tell you and they can always tell you whenever
something is not correct. So as far as that goes, it’s basically
that the more we get consciously aware of ourselves, the more that
light shines on dark things, especially things like that.”