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Cain Velasquez, former UFC heavyweight champion, will have to wait until 2025 to learn his fate after his sentencing was postponed. Velasquez was initially scheduled to appear in court on Friday for sentencing following his no-contest plea to charges of attempted murder and multiple gun-related offenses stemming from his 2022 arrest. Now, his hearing has been pushed back to early next year.
The charges against Velasquez include a life sentence possibility with the chance of parole. However, due to his no-contest plea, which avoided a jury trial, it’s unlikely he will face the maximum penalty. Velasquez's arrest followed an 11-mile, high-speed car chase where he pursued a vehicle containing Harry Goularte, a man accused of molesting Velasquez's young son at a daycare run by Goularte’s mother. During the pursuit, Velasquez fired several shots from a .40-caliber handgun at the vehicle, hitting Goularte's stepfather, Paul Bender, in the arm. Bender’s injuries were non-life-threatening.
After the chase, Velasquez was arrested without resistance by Morgan Hill police. He spent eight months in jail before finally being granted bail for $1 million. Court documents revealed that Velasquez had searched for terms like "sexual assault case where victims' family fights back" and "sexual assault cases where victims' family retaliates," indicating his emotional state during the incident.
Meanwhile, Goularte, the man Velasquez was pursuing, is also facing charges related to the alleged molestation of Velasquez’s son. His next court hearing is scheduled for November 13, 2024.
Despite his legal troubles, Velasquez has remained active in the MMA community. Since his release on bail, he has returned to coaching and cornering fighters at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose and even appeared as a professional wrestler. He will remain free until his sentencing hearing, which is set for sometime in 2025.
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