Cain Velazquez was sentenced to five years in prison on Monday, according to multiple reports.
The sentence ends a three-year long saga after Velazquez was attacked by numerous charges, including planned attempted murder, felony assault and gun-related charges. Velazquez appeared in court with his family and his lawyer before the sentence was handed down by Judge Arthur Bocanegra.
The prosecutors in the case were sought 30 years in prison while Velazquez’s lawyers sought probation and time. Eventually, Velazquez was sentenced to five years behind bars.
Velazquez also earns credits for his already working hours in 1283 days, including when he was already in prison and when he was spent on house arrest. As a result, Velázquez probably spends less than two years behind the bar.
The ordeal surrounding the former UFC heavyweight champion began when he was first arrested in February 2022 after he went to an 11-mile high-speed chase after a car that included Harry Goalute, who was accused of abusing the fighter’s son at a daycare his mother owned. Guralte faces separate charges of his own for child abuse, but after his arrest he was detained against the advice of the prosecutor.
It led to a high-speed car chase, with Velazquez firing several rounds from a .40 caliber handgun on the vehicle, including the Golarte, but the bullet eventually hit his stepfather, Paul Bender, in the arm. As a result, he suffered a life-threatening injury.
When the car chase ended, Velazquez was arrested by the Morgan Hill Police Station without incident and was attacked on charges of keeping him behind the bar for the next eight months before he was finally released on bail.
The district attorney also said, “The suspect’s phone search found a search for a “sexual assault case in which the victim fights back” and a “sexual assault case in which the victim retaliates with his family.”
In a memorandum filed before the verdict, Associate District Attorney Aaron French detailed why Velazquez should be subject to a severe penalty for his crimes.
“The defendant’s crimes are strict,” French wrote. “Justice calls for a similarly harsh sentence. The court should place a 30-year sentence on the prison to hold the defendant accountable for reckless and dangerous behaviour and the persistent physical and psychological injury he left behind on the victim and the community.”
Velazquez initially awaited trial, but was waiting for bail to file a lawsuit to sign a contract with the District Attorney’s Office, which took the table accusations of a planned attempted murder. The charge could end with Velázquez’s life sentence if he is found guilty.
Since his release, Velazquez returned to coaching at MMA and appeared as a professional wrestler while awaiting the date of his sentence. There were some delays before Velazquez finally appeared in court on Monday to hear his punishment.
After his first arrest, numerous members of the MMA community spoke out in support of Velazquez, including his best friend and UFC Hall of Fame Daniel Cormer. UFC CEO Dana White wrote a letter of support for Velazquez when he was still behind the bar after bail was initially denied.
Currently, the former UFC heavyweight champion is preparing to go to prison after his sentence, but his actual time is expected to be less than five years.