UFC legend Cain Velasquez sentenced to 5 years in prison for 2022 shooting
Cain Velasquez is heading to prison. The former two-time UFC heavyweight champion was sentenced to five years for attempted murder and other charges at a hearing Monday at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice in San Jose, ending a three-year saga that has been repeatedly delayed in the courts.
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Arthur Bocanegra oversaw the case. NBC Bay Area first reported the verdict Monday.
Velasquez, 42, faced 10 felony charges stemming from a 2022 incident in which he engaged in an 11-mile high-speed car chase with Harry Goularte, who is accused of molesting Velasquez's then 4-year-old son on “multiple occasions." Velasquez fired several shots through his windshield from a .40-caliber handgun during the chase into a car carrying Goularte, Goularte's mother and Goularte’s stepfather Paul Bender, resulting in non-life threatening injuries to Bender due to a gunshot wound to his arm. Photos showing Goularte’s truck lined with bullet holes were presented again to the court before Monday's sentencing.
Velasquez's 10 charges ranged from attempted murder, shooting at a motor vehicle or aircraft, assault with a firearm, assault with a deadly weapon, willfully discharging a firearm from a vehicle and carrying a loaded firearm with intent to commit a felony.
Velasquez pleaded no contest to all charges related to his case. Prosecutors sought a sentence of 30 years to life for Velasquez, while the defense hoped to attain time served and probation. Impact statements from Velasquez, his wife and his 15-year-old daughter were delivered before Monday's proceedings, according to local reports, with Velasquez's daughter pleading the court to allow the former UFC star to attend her high-school soccer games. Statements from Harry Goularte and the Goularte family were also read.
“My dad has always been my biggest supporter. My dad is why I’m strong as a person. He has the biggest heart,” Velasquez's daughter said.
Velasquez's sentence includes time served. The former champ spent nearly one year incarcerated following the 2022 incident as well as nearly two years on house arrest with an ankle monitor.
Goularte currently awaits his own June 2 trial date after pleading not guilty to one charge of lewd acts with a minor.
Velasquez's family has filed a separate civil lawsuit against the Goularte family and their businesses.
Speaking recently on the podcast of former teammate Kyle Kingsbury, Velasquez expressed remorse for his actions and accepted whatever punishment came his way. Velasquez also said he has forgiven Goularte’s family for what happened; Goularte’s mother ran the daycare where the alleged molestation happened.
“What I did was not correct," Velasquez said. “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 that 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.
“[But] the way that I handled things was not the way to do it. We cannot put the law in our own hands."
Velasquez (14-3) is one of the most decorated heavyweights of his era. He first captured the UFC heavyweight title in 2010 with a first-round knockout of Brock Lesnar, then won the belt back again in 2012 with a revenge win over Junior dos Santos. A prodigious talent whose career was perennially snakebitten by injuries, Velasquez defended his championship twice with wins over Antonio Silva and in a trilogy bout against dos Santos, before suffering a 2015 loss to Fabricio Werdum. Velasquez only fought twice more — once in 2016 and once in 2019 — before stepping away from MMA entirely.
Velasquez then briefly pursued professional wrestling and even signed with WWE from 2019-20 before being released from his deal due to financial cuts during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Velasquez was expected to serve as the manager of Team Dubai for the Global Fight League's debut season in 2025, alongside his longtime coach at San Jose's American Kickboxing Academy, Javier Mendez. That obviously will no longer happen in light of Monday's news.
| 1d 5:03 PM ET ago |
Topics
-
Former UFC champion Cain Velasquez sentenced to 5 years for 2022 shooting
Former UFC champion Cain Velasquez was sentenced to five years in prison Monday for a shooting in 2022 where he chased after the man accused of molesting his son.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Former UFC champion Cain Velasquez sentenced to 5 years for 2022 shooting
Former UFC champion Cain Velasquez has been sentenced to five years in prison for a shooting in 2022 where he chased after the man accused of molesting his sonABC News - 1d -
Ex-UFC champ Cain Velasquez gets 5 years for shooting man who allegedly molested his relative
Former UFC champ Cain Velasquez was sentenced to five years in prison for the attempted murder of a man accused of molesting his relative during an emotionally fraught Monday hearing.NBC News - 1d -
Ex-UFC champ Velasquez sentenced for shooting
Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez was sentenced to prison time Monday for a shooting that took place in 2022.ESPN - 1d -
Former UFC champ Cain Velasquez sentenced for 2022 shooting incident
Two-time UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez pleads no contest to 10 felonies stemming from a high-speed chase with man accused of molesting relative.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Cain Velasquez sentenced to five years in prison for involvement in 2022 shooting incident
Velasquez will receive credit for time served and has roughly 18 months left on his sentenceCBS Sports - 1d -
'This is awful': UFC fighters react to Cain Velasquez's prison sentence in attempted murder case
As has been the case since the situation occurred in 2022, the MMA community largely has thrown its support behind former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez during a difficult moment. ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Ex-ASU wrestling star and UFC champ Cain Velasquez gets 5 years for vigilante shooting
Velasquez pleaded no contest in August, and a premeditated attempted murder charge, which carried a potential life sentence, was dropped.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Cain Velasquez's path from UFC star to state prison is one of the most sympathetic imaginable
On another timeline, Cain Velasquez could've been the greatest heavyweight champ in UFC history. Instead, he's sitting behind bars for at least the next year.Yahoo Sports - 1d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
NFL win totals 2025: Oddsmakers not optimistic Raiders make big jump
The odds are out on each team's projected win totals and they don't see much of any improvement by the Raiders new regime.Yahoo Sports - 19m -
Texas basketball: What Devon Pryor said before becoming 1st UT player in transfer portal
A sophomore wing, Pryor is the first Texas player to enter the portal since new coach Sean MIller took over the program this week.Yahoo Sports - 20m -
Phillies at Nationals Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for Mar. 27
Philadelphi Phillies at Washington Nationals Game PreviewYahoo Sports - 20m -
Seminole Sidelines: Tommy Castellanos, FSU's RBs and walk-off baseball win
On Wednesday's show: Discussing Tommy Castellanos, FSU's running backs and a walk-off baseball win.Yahoo Sports - 21m -
What Kirby Smart said about Georgia football's recent arrests, suspensions
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart spoke with the media for the first time after two more UGA players were arrested for driving incidentsYahoo Sports - 22m
More in Sports
-
Vini: Brazil must 'rethink everything' after loss
Vinícius Júnior has called for Brazil to push the reset button following their alarming 4-1 defeat at Argentina in Tuesday's World Cup qualifier.ESPN - 11m -
Club World Cup winners to get up to $125m
The winners of this year's 32-team Club World Cup to be held in the U.S. will earn up to $125 million, FIFA said on Wednesday.ESPN - 11m -
Chelsea fans call for Boehly ticket site probe
Chelsea fans have asked the Premier League to investigate co-owner Todd Boehly's links to a ticket resale site.ESPN - 11m -
Boston's NWSL team reveals new name -- again
In a move to recover from a disastrous branding rollout five months ago, the expansion NWSL team has announced Boston Legacy Football Club as its new franchise name, superseding BOS Nation FC.ESPN - 11m -
Source: Onana wants Utd stay, plans to rebuff SPL
André Onana intends to stay at Manchester United even if he receives an offer from Saudi Arabia, a source has told ESPN.ESPN - 11m