Cain Velasquez, a former UFC heavyweight champion, has been sentenced to five years in prison for the attempted murder of a man accused of sexually assaulting his four-year-old son.
Velasquez was arrested in 2022 following a car chase during which he fired shots at a vehicle containing Harry Goularte, the man he alleged molested his son. Although Goularte was uninjured, a bullet struck his stepfather.
On Monday, in a Santa Clara, California courtroom, Velasquez received a five-year prison sentence, with credit for three years already served, according to TMZ.
Meanwhile, Goularte faces a felony charge for lewd acts with a minor and is scheduled for trial on June 2nd.
During his sentencing, Velasquez reportedly expressed remorse for his actions, having previously negotiated a deal with prosecutors to avoid a life sentence amidst multiple trial delays.
In a prior appearance on the Kyle Kingsbury podcast, Velasquez acknowledged, “I understand what I did was very dangerous to others, not just those involved but to innocent people. I’m willing to take responsibility and do everything necessary to make amends.”
He stated, “Whatever the court deems appropriate, I will face it head-on and remain true to myself without playing the blame game. I take full responsibility for my actions.”
Velasquez also revealed that he has forgiven the Goularte family, who operated the daycare where the alleged abuse occurred. “Even with what they’ve done, I can’t harbor hate toward them,” he said. “I need to focus on moving forward and showing love to my children and those around me.”
Velasquez’s MMA career included two UFC title wins, first claiming the title by defeating Brock Lesnar in 2010 before losing it to Junior dos Santos in his first defense. He later regained the title in a rematch against Dos Santos in 2012 but lost it again to Fabricio Werdum the same year.
