Former UFC heavyweight champion and sometime wrestler, Cain Velasquez, 42, been sentenced to five years in prison for a 2022 shooting.
Last August, pleaded no contest to attempted murder, assault and weapons charges.
During the 2022 incident, Velasquez followed and chased a man who was accused of molesting his son. Velasquez fired at a vehicle with a .40-caliber handgun injuring the accused’s step-father, Paul Bender, twice. Harry Goularte is accused of molesting Velasquez’s son at a daycare owned by his mother. Goularte has pleaded not guilty. The trial begins in June.
Renee M. Hessling, Velasquez’s attorney, made this statement: “Today’s results are bittersweet — we had hoped Mr. Velasquez would remain out of jail. 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.”
Speaking on Kyle Kingsbury’s podcast, Velasquez spoke about his actions and the consequences.
“From what I can say as far as myself, the way that I handled things was not the way to do it. We cannot put the law in our own hands. … I know what I did and I know what I did was very dangerous to other people. Not just people involved but innocent people. I understand what I did and I’m willing to do everything I have to [do] to pay that back,” he said.
Velasquez worked for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide teaming with Cody Rhodes and Psycho Clown against Texano Jr, Taurus and Killer Kross. He also teamed with Brian Cage and Psycho Clown against Rey Escorpión, Texano Jr. and Taurus.
Velasquez revisited his UFC feud with Brock Lesnar in the WWE leading to a match against him at Crown Jewel 2019. He was released from his WWE contract in 2020.
