Cain Velasquez Gets Parole After Serving Sentence
Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez was released on parole on Sunday, after spending the last 11 months in custody. The news was confirmed by his longtime agent, Mike Fonseca.
Velasquez was sentenced to five years in prison in March 2023, after pleading “no contest” to charges related to a shooting that occurred in February 2022. At the time of sentencing, Velasquez was credited with 1,283 days served.
The charges stemmed from an incident in which Velasquez, 43, chased and repeatedly shot at the vehicle of Harry Goularte, a man accused of abusing his 4-year-old son. Goularte’s father, who was with him in the vehicle, was injured by gunfire during the 11-mile chase. Velasquez obtained a $1 million bail and was placed under house arrest in November 2022.
Goularte continues to face a felony charge for lewd acts with a minor. Velasquez has also filed a civil lawsuit against him.
Velasquez won the undisputed UFC heavyweight championship by knocking out Brock Lesnar in October 2010. He made numerous appearances as champion, training at the acclaimed American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose. He retired from MMA in 2019.
After his arrest, the UFC offered its public support to Velasquez, including a letter from CEO Dana White to the court, who described him as a “model example of how a professional athlete should behave”.
