"Not the Way to Do It" — Cain Velasquez’s Accountability After Arrest May Earn Him Early Parole
"We cannot put the law in our own hands."
Published Dec. 23 2025, 9:25 a.m. ET
MMA fans who watched Cain Velasquez's April 19th, 2008 introduction to the UFC will probably remember the hype surrounding the eventual two-time heavyweight champion. Cain displayed two characteristics that weren't exactly synonymous with big men in the sport at the time. He had an impressive gas tank, which fueled his incessant wrestling-focused fight style, combined with an impressive fight IQ.
So when he eventually nabbed gold, it didn't exactly come as a surprise. What is surprising, however, is that the widely respected pugilist is locked up today. But why is he in prison?
Why is Cain Velasquez locked up?
On March 24, 2025, ESPN's Brett Okamoto reported that "Velasquez was sentenced to five years in prison ... for a shooting that took place in February of 2022." The mixed martial artists and University of Arizona wrestling standout had pleaded "no contest to felony attempted murder, [along with] assault and weapons charges."
On February 28, 2022, Velasquez reportedly chased down a pickup truck that was being driven by Paul Bender, the stepfather of Harry Goularte. Velasquez alleges that Goularte had molested his 4-year-old at a day care facility that was owned by Goularte's mother.
The 11-mile chase culminated in Velasquez taking out a .40 caliber handgun and opening fire on the vehicle containing Goularte and Bender several times. While doing so, Bender sustained wounds to his arm and torso, and authorities were subsequently notified of the situation.
Upon being approached by police, "Velasquez was arrested without incident," Okamoto wrote. Sportskeeda writes that Velasquez is currently doing time at California's Soledad State Prison.
Is Cain Velasquez stillin jail? He has become eligible for parole in February of 2026.
At first, Velasquez's parole period was set for March 2026, but Velasquez's involvement with "rehabilitative programs" has purportedly reduced his incarceration. What's more is that Okamoto penned that Cain was able to shave 1,283 days off his sentence while under house arrest since November 2022.
Velasquez's attorney, Renee M. Hessling, praised Velasquez's character and personal accountability in the wake of the shooting, especially in the wake of such a traumatic family event. And during an appearance on teammate Kyle Kingsbury's podcast, the UFC heavyweight champion urged others not to "put the law in [their] own hands."
Velasquez said, "The way I handled things was not the way to do it ... 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 had to to pay that back."
According to Yahoo, Goularte has plead not guilty to allegations that he molested Velasquez's then 4-year-old son at the time. The outlet wrote that after being arrested in response to accusations that he victimized the UFC champ's son, he would receive a criminal trial in Santa Clara County, Calif., which begins on March 9, 2026.
After Goularte's February arrest, he was released on the condition that he wear an ankle monitor. The Mercury News reported that Patricia Goularte had operated her daycare facility in the area for four decades.
Goularte's mother contends that they have video proof that Goularte wasn't even in the daycare center at the time the purported assault on Velasquez's son took place.