Cain Velasquez was sentenced to five years in prison on Monday after pleading no-contest to a variety of charges including attempted murder following his initial arrest back in 2022, according to multiple reports.
The sentencing brings to an end a three-year long saga after Velasquez was hit with numerous charges including premeditated attempted murder, felony assault and gun related charges. Velasquez appeared in court alongside his family and his attorney before the sentence was handed down by Judge Arthur Bocanegra.
Prosecutors in the case were seeking 30 years to life in prison while Velasquez’s defense attorneys sought probation and time served. In the end, Velasquez gets a five-year sentence behind bars.
Velasquez gets credit for time already served, which will shorten his overall prison time and he was remanded into custody following his sentencing.
The ordeal surrounding the former UFC heavyweight champion started when he was first arrested in February 2022 after he went on an 11-mile high speed chase pursuing a car containing Harry Goularte, a man accused of molesting the fighter’s son at a daycare owned by his mother. Goularte faces separate charges of his own for child molestation but after his arrest, he was released on bond against the advice of the prosecution.
That led to the high-speed car chase where Velasquez fired several rounds from a .40-caliber handgun at the vehicle containing Goularte but ultimately a bullet struck his stepfather Paul Bender in the arm. He sustained non-life threatening injuries as a result.
When the car chase ended, Velasquez was arrested without incident by the Morgan Hill Police Department and he was hit with a multitude of charges that kept him behind bars for the next eight months before he was eventually granted bail.
The district attorney also stated that “a search of the suspect’s phone found searches for ‘sexual assault case where victims family fights back’ and ‘sexual assault cases where victims family retaliates.’”
In a memorandum filed prior to the sentencing, Deputy District Attorney Aaron French detailed why Velasquez should receive a stiff penalty for his crimes.
“The defendant’s crime is severe,” French wrote. “Justice demands a sentence that is equally severe. To hold the defendant accountable for his reckless and dangerous actions and the lasting physical and psychological injuries he left upon the victims and the community, the court should impose a sentence of 30 years to life in prison.”
Velasquez remained out on bail while initially awaiting trial before striking a deal with the district attorney’s office to plead no-contest, which took the premeditated attempted murder charge off the table. That charge could have ended with a life sentence for Velasquez if he was found guilty.
Since his release, Velasquez returned to coaching MMA as well as making appearances as a professional wrestler while awaiting the date for his sentencing. There were several delays before Velasquez finally appeared in court on Monday to hear his punishment.
Following his initial arrest, numerous members of the MMA community spoke out in support of Velasquez including his close friend and UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier. UFC CEO Dana White even wrote a letter of support for Velasquez when he was still behind bars after his bail was initially denied.
Now the former UFC heavyweight champion prepares to go to prison after his sentencing, although his actual time there is expected to be far less than five years.
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