UFC legend Cain Velasquez has been sentenced to five years of imprisonment for attempted murder.
The two-time heavyweight champion faced 20 felony charges as a result of an incident that took place in 2022. The 42-year-old was involved in a car chase with Harry Goularte, who was accused of molesting Velasquez’s then 4-year-old son. The chase resulted in Velasquez firing a gun at Goularte, who was in the car with his mother and stepfather, Paul Bender. Fortunately, the incident led to non-life-threatening injuries for Bender, but the shooting resulted in multiple charges filed against the former fighter.
Valesquez pleaded no contest to all the charges to reduce his sentence. After a prolonged legal battle, Velasquez’s sentencing was initially set for October 2024 but was later postponed to March 2025. The fighter finally learned his fate on Monday, as he was sentenced to five years of imprisonment at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice in San Jose, California, ending a three-year saga that had been repeatedly delayed in the courts. Velasquez’s sentence includes time served. The District Attorney sought a 30-year life sentence, but the defense argued for time served and probation, as Valesquez had already spent nearly one year incarcerated following the 2022 incident, as well as nearly two years on house arrest with an ankle monitor.
“From what I can say as far as myself, the way that I handled things, that was not the way to do it,” Velasquez said prior to his sentencing during an appearance on The Kyle Kingsbury Podcast. “We cannot put the law in our own hands. … I already pled no contest, so I’m going to get a sentencing on Monday.
“I know what I did was very dangerous toward other people—not just to people involved, but to innocent people. I understand what I did, and I’m willing to do everything I have to pay back that,” Velasquez continued. “So whatever the court feels is 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.”
The fighter had plans before the hearing and had recently signed with GFL, but Valesquez took on a remorseful state after his sentencing.
“I am truly sorry,” Velasquez said in court, per numerous reports. “My actions were reckless and extremely dangerous. I’m ashamed and regretful for how I handled myself on the day of my crime.
“Out of all this, I wish safe healing for my family, and to the Goulartes, I wish safe healing, and to the community, I wish safe healing.”
Goularte, on the other hand, currently awaits his own trial date on June 2 after pleading not guilty to one charge of lewd acts with a minor.
