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Judge fights back tears as he sentences former UFC champion Cain Velasquez to prison for shooting
Former UFC fighter Cain Velasquez has been sentenced to five years in prison for attempted murder. However, his sentence is reduced on time already served and he could end up being behind bars for a year. Velasquez has been given a five-year sentence after a plea of no contestGetty During an 11-mile car chase in 2022, Velasquez, who shared the octagon with Brock Lesnar and Francis Ngannou during his UFC career, fired a handgun multiple times at a truck carrying three people, including a man accused of molesting Velasquez’s relative. Velasquez, who is a two-time UFC heavyweight champion, began shooting at the victims at an intersection. As they tried to flee, he rammed their vehicle and fired his registered handgun again at them. The bullets hit the driver in the arm and right flank, severing his brachial artery, as they drove past a school, which was letting out for the day. District Attorney Jeff Rosen said: “One man’s decision to take the law into his own hands left an innocent man wounded and endangered schoolchildren, teachers, and many others in our community. If you want to do justice in Santa Clara County, please apply for a badge.” His target was not injured and Velasquez was arrested. His intended victim, 46-year-old Harry Goularte, continues to face pending felony child molestation charges. He remains out of custody with GPS monitoring. Velasquez, 42, pleaded no contest to attempted murder last summer and in the hearing in Santa Clara on Monday, prosecutors asked for a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Velasquez’s defense, meanwhile, asked for probation with no prison time with 1,283 days already served in addition to two years on house arrest. Local reporter, Amy Larson, wrote that Judge Arthur Bocanegra got emotional when passing sentence, noting he became choked up, noting that ‘punishment comes in many ways, and one of the worst is forcing a father to not be present in his child’s life’, while also noting Velasquez has no prior criminal record, expressed remorse and took full responsibility for his actions. “This is a tragic case. Mr. Velasquez is not a danger to public safety,” Bocanegra said. Attorney Renee Hessling, who represented Velasquez, is disappointed with the sentencing but optimistic about his future. “Today’s results are bittersweet — we had hoped Mr. Velasquez would remain out of jail,” Hessling said in a written statement. Velasquez beat Lesnar at at UFC 121 in 2010 to win the UFC heavyweight titleGetty Images - Getty He lost it to Junior dos Santos in 2011, but won it back in their rematch at the end of 2012 to make him a two-time championGetty Images - Getty His final UFC fight, in 2019, ended in defeat to NgannouGetty - Contributor “However, the facts remain clear: Cain Velasquez is a good man, a devoted father, and a respected member of the community. What he and his family have endured has been nothing short of a living nightmare—one they did not deserve. “Throughout it all, Cain has shown courage and strength of character. He has taken responsibility for his actions and has been held accountable. “The sentence handed down today reflects the complexities of the situation and acknowledges the man behind the headlines. When he is released, he will continue to lead by example—protecting, contributing, and caring for the people around him.” When speaking on the Kyle Kingsbury podcast earlier in March, Velasquez said that he would respect the decision of the court. “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,” he said. “I understand what I did and I’m willing to do everything I have to pay that back.” Velasquez has already served time behind bars and his defense wants this taken into considerationGetty He took full responsibility for his actions which the judge took into consideration during his sentencingGetty Dana White's letter Following Velasquez's arrest in 2022, White was among many to write letters in support of the former champion. This is what White wrote To the honorable judge of the Santa Clara Superior Court, I write this reference in full knowledge of Cain Velasquez’s current charges of attempted murder and assault. I was stunned to learn of these charges against him, as they are completely out of character for the man I was proud to say was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion. I have known Mr. Velasquez for more than 15 years, and during his time as an active athlete with UFC, he represented our company with dignity and always treated others with respect. He was a model example of how a professional athlete should carry himself, projecting a positive image to UFC’s fanbase. Mr. Velasquez was extremely professional and went above and beyond to make a connection with our fans and promote the sport of mixed martial arts—- not only as an entertainment product, but
Former UFC fighter Cain Velasquez has been sentenced to five years in prison for attempted murder.
However, his sentence is reduced on time already served and he could end up being behind bars for a year.
During an 11-mile car chase in 2022, Velasquez, who shared the octagon with Brock Lesnar and Francis Ngannou during his UFC career, fired a handgun multiple times at a truck carrying three people, including a man accused of molesting Velasquez’s relative.
Velasquez, who is a two-time UFC heavyweight champion, began shooting at the victims at an intersection. As they tried to flee, he rammed their vehicle and fired his registered handgun again at them. The bullets hit the driver in the arm and right flank, severing his brachial artery, as they drove past a school, which was letting out for the day.
District Attorney Jeff Rosen said: “One man’s decision to take the law into his own hands left an innocent man wounded and endangered schoolchildren, teachers, and many others in our community. If you want to do justice in Santa Clara County, please apply for a badge.”
His target was not injured and Velasquez was arrested. His intended victim, 46-year-old Harry Goularte, continues to face pending felony child molestation charges. He remains out of custody with GPS monitoring.
Velasquez, 42, pleaded no contest to attempted murder last summer and in the hearing in Santa Clara on Monday, prosecutors asked for a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Velasquez’s defense, meanwhile, asked for probation with no prison time with 1,283 days already served in addition to two years on house arrest.
Local reporter, Amy Larson, wrote that Judge Arthur Bocanegra got emotional when passing sentence, noting he became choked up, noting that ‘punishment comes in many ways, and one of the worst is forcing a father to not be present in his child’s life’, while also noting Velasquez has no prior criminal record, expressed remorse and took full responsibility for his actions. “This is a tragic case. Mr. Velasquez is not a danger to public safety,” Bocanegra said.
Attorney Renee Hessling, who represented Velasquez, is disappointed with the sentencing but optimistic about his future.
“Today’s results are bittersweet — we had hoped Mr. Velasquez would remain out of jail,” Hessling said in a written statement.
“However, the facts remain clear: Cain Velasquez is a good man, a devoted father, and a respected member of the community. What he and his family have endured has been nothing short of a living nightmare—one they did not deserve.
“Throughout it all, Cain has shown courage and strength of character. He has taken responsibility for his actions and has been held accountable.
“The sentence handed down today reflects the complexities of the situation and acknowledges the man behind the headlines. When he is released, he will continue to lead by example—protecting, contributing, and caring for the people around him.”
When speaking on the Kyle Kingsbury podcast earlier in March, Velasquez said that he would respect the decision of the court.
“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,” he said.
“I understand what I did and I’m willing to do everything I have to pay that back.”
Dana White's letter
Following Velasquez's arrest in 2022, White was among many to write letters in support of the former champion. This is what White wrote
To the honorable judge of the Santa Clara Superior Court,
I write this reference in full knowledge of Cain Velasquez’s current charges of attempted murder and assault. I was stunned to learn of these charges against him, as they are completely out of character for the man I was proud to say was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion.
I have known Mr. Velasquez for more than 15 years, and during his time as an active athlete with UFC, he represented our company with dignity and always treated others with respect. He was a model example of how a professional athlete should carry himself, projecting a positive image to UFC’s fanbase. Mr. Velasquez was extremely professional and went above and beyond to make a connection with our fans and promote the sport of mixed martial arts—- not only as an entertainment product, but also as a character—building discipline.
As a Mexican American, Mr. Velasquez was proud of his heritage and never passed up an opportunity to visit Mexico on behalf of our company and demonstrate his gratitude to the Mexican fans for their support.
People who know him best describe him as a humble, soft-spoken man who was very much dedicated t0 his family, including his wife and his two children.
If given the opportunity, I’m sure Mr. Velasquez would like nothing more than to return to his family and continue to make a positive impact on his community.
I sincerely ask that you take this into consideration as you adjudicate next steps in this process concerning Mr. Velasquez.
lf you wish for me to confirm any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact me.
He added: “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.”
Velasquez won 14 of his 17 profesional fights during his MMA career, 12 of which came by knockout.
He beat Lesnar in 2010 to win the UFC heavyweight title and became champion again in 2012 by beating Junior dos Santos in a rematch having initially lost his belt to him.
He announced his retirement in October 2019, eight months after he was beaten by Francis Ngannou at their main event.
In 2022, following his arrest, the UFC offered its public support to Velasquez, including a letter from CEO Dana White, which was submitted to the court during his case. In the letter, Velasquez was described a ‘model example of how a professional athlete should carry himself.’
Other letters of support came from former champions Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Kamaru Usman.
