Former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez was released on early parole from California state prison on Sunday after serving 11 months of a five-year sentence tied to a February 2022 shooting incident.
Reacting to the news, Ronda Rousey, the inaugural UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion and Hall of Famer, posted on X (formerly Twitter):
“Welcome back, Cain! Wishing you and your family happiness and healing!”
Velasquez, 43, was sentenced in March 2025 to five years in prison and four years of supervised probation after pleading no contest in 2024 to multiple felony charges, including attempted first-degree murder, shooting at a motor vehicle, assault with a firearm, and discharging a firearm from a vehicle. At sentencing, he received credit for 1,283 days already served in county jail and under house arrest. He had previously been granted $1 million bail in November 2022 and placed on house arrest before returning to custody. Although initially scheduled to be eligible for parole in March 2026, state records show his eligibility was moved up to February 2026. Authorities also recognized time already served and involvement in rehabilitative programs.
The charges were linked to an 11-mile car chase in which Velasquez pursued Harry Goularte Jr., a daycare worker accused of sexually assaulting Velasquez's four-year-old son. Goularte had been arrested on February 23, 2022, and charged with lewd acts with a minor under 14, then released on bond with a GPS monitor. During the pursuit, Velasquez rammed the vehicle carrying Goularte, his stepfather, Paul Bender, and his mother, Patricia Goularte.
Velasquez fired multiple shots, striking Bender in the arm and causing non-life-threatening injuries, but Goularte was not hit. Goularte's criminal case remains ongoing, with a trial-setting conference scheduled for April 15. Velasquez also has a June 3 court date to determine restitution owed to Bender and the Goularte family. A separate civil lawsuit filed by Velasquez and his family alleges negligence and cover-up.
Velasquez retired from MMA in 2019 with a 14-3 record. He became the first fighter of Mexican descent to win the UFC heavyweight title by knocking out Brock Lesnar in October 2010. He later worked with Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide and WWE before being released in April 2020.
