Ex-UFC champ Velasquez sentenced to 5 years in prison for attempted murder
A California court sentenced former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez to five years in prison for attempted murder.
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Arthur Bocanegra sentenced Velasquez on Monday in San Jose on one count of attempted murder and multiple assault and weapons charges in connection to a 2022 shooting. Ian Cull of NBC Bay Area first reported the verdict.
Velasquez will be credited with 1,283 days for time served in jail and at home with an ankle monitor, shortening his sentence considerably, according to KRON4 News' Amy Larson. His attorney, Renee Hessling, expects Velasquez will serve one year in prison, according to Cull.
"Today's results are bittersweet - we had hoped Mr. Velasquez would remain out of jail," Hessling said in a statement to MMA Junkie's Nolan King. "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."
Velasquez pleaded no contest to the charges last August. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office dropped a premeditated attempted murder charge - which carries a mandatory life sentence if a defendant is found guilty in a trial - as a result of the plea agreement.
Prosecutors were seeking a prison term of 30 years to life, while Velasquez's attorney asked the court for probation with no prison time, according to the Mercury News' Robert Salonga.
In February 2022, Velasquez was accused of repeatedly shooting at a vehicle carrying a man named Harry Goularte, who was accused of molesting Velasquez's then-4-year-old son at a daycare owned by Goularte's mother. Velasquez was accused of shooting Goularte's stepfather, Paul Bender, in the arm and torso with a .40 caliber handgun during an 11-mile high-speed car chase. Bender suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Goularte is facing one felony charge of lewd acts with a minor. He pleaded not guilty in the case and is scheduled to go to trial June 2, according to King.
Velasquez, 42, spent about nine months in jail after his arrest and was released on a $1-million bail in November 2022.