Cain Velasquez released from prison after 10 months behind bars following attempted murder case
· Yahoo Sports
Cain Velasquez is going home.
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The former UFC heavyweight champion secured his release from prison on Sunday, following a 10-month stint behind bars after pleading no-contest to a multitude of charges, including attempted murder, following his arrest in 2022.
Velasquez was being housed at the Correctional Training Facility and was originally eligible for parole as early as March, but that date was bumped up to February. Inmates can earn additional time off a sentence based on “participating in rehabilitative programming.”
The 43-year-old Velasquez was initially sentenced to five years in prison after his conviction, but Velasquez received credit for time served following a lengthy stay in jail before he was finally granted bail, and he also spent time under house arrest while his case played out in court.
Velasquez was initially arrested back in 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 Goularte’s 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, ultimately striking Goularte’s stepfather, Paul Bender, in the arm. Bender 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 hit with a multitude of charges that kept him behind bars for the next eight months before he was eventually granted bail.
Prosecutors were seeking 30 years to life for Velasquez, but Judge Arthur Bocanegra ultimately settled on a five-year sentence with time already served.
Before he reported to prison, Velasquez had gotten back to work as a coach at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose while also making appearances at professional wrestling shows as permitted by the courts. After his no-contest plea and sentencing, Velasquez reported to prison in March 2025.
Now, 10 months later, Velasquez’s ordeal behind bars comes to an end with his release.
However, Velasquez still has to deal with the fallout from his conviction as he is due back in court on March 18 for a restitution hearing that’s already been delayed for several months.
Under California law, victims in violent crimes are due restitution from the person convicted, but it’s still to be determined how much Velasquez will owe until the hearing plays out in March.
Below is a video of Velasquez after his release on Sunday.
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