When Cain Velasquez was arrested for attempted murder in March 2022, the entire MMA world stood unanimously by his side. Over two years later, nothing has changed.
In the latest update of his case, Velasquez cut a deal to plead no-contest ahead of his originally scheduled trial date of Sept. 9. Instead, the former two-time UFC heavyweight champion will now await a hearing on Oct. 18 without the possibility of a mandatory life sentence.
With the news of Velasquez’s no-contest plea breaking on Aug. 16, former UFC middleweight contender Derek Brunson offered his support for the retired fighter on X. In a simple post, Brunson brought back the “#FreeCain” movement that was trending at the time of Velasquez’s arrest.
Velasquez was initially arrested for chasing down Harry Goularte in his car while shooting a gun. The UFC great claimed that Goularte molested his four-year-old son and would later attempt to sue him on that offense.
The 42-year-old father of two briefly went to jail following his arrest but was released in November 2022 on a $1 million bail.
Will Cain Velasquez go to prison?
Once Cain Velasquez’s case goes to its hearing process, his future will lay in the hands of Judge Arthur Bocanegra. The range of potential outcomes is wide, including a potential prison sentence.
The no-contest plea deal Velasquez cut with the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office only removes a mandatory life sentence from his list of potential punishments.
Velasquez initially pleaded not guilty in 2022 and remained in that stance until Aug. 16.
The former UFC heavyweight champion officially retired in 2019 after coming out of a three-year layoff only to suffer a 26-second knockout loss to Francis Ngannou. The frequent injuries that plagued Velasquez significantly hurt his career legacy though many still consider him to be arguably the most talented heavyweight in MMA history.
