Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has been released from prison after serving nearly one year behind bars.
Velasquez, 43, was granted parole Sunday after completing 11 months at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, California.
The two-time UFC heavyweight champion was arrested in 2022 following a high-speed pursuit in which he chased Harry Goularte Jr., a man accused of molesting Velasquez’s young son.
During the chase, Velasquez fired multiple shots into a vehicle carrying Goularte Jr. and his stepfather, who was driving. While Goularte Jr. was not struck, his stepfather sustained injuries.
Goularte Jr. has faced felony charges related to alleged lewd acts with a minor and has also been named in a civil lawsuit filed by Velasquez.
At sentencing, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen sharply criticized Velasquez’s actions, arguing that the former champion took the law into his own hands and endangered innocent bystanders.
“This defendant decided to become judge, jury, and executioner,” Rosen said during the proceedings. Prosecutors had initially sought a lengthy prison term that could have kept Velasquez incarcerated for decades.
However, the judge in the case handed down a significantly lighter sentence, citing the emotional complexity of the situation. According to court observers, the judge was visibly moved during the proceedings and concluded that separating Velasquez from his son constituted a substantial punishment.
After sentencing in 2025, Velasquez’s attorney, Renee Hessling, described the outcome as “bittersweet,” saying the defense had hoped he would avoid jail time altogether.
“The sentence handed down today reflects the complexities of the situation and acknowledges the man behind the headlines,” Hessling said at the time, adding that Velasquez would seek to move forward positively upon release.
Following his release, Velasquez was welcomed by friends and family — along with a mariachi band — in a celebratory scene outside the facility.
Velasquez first captured the UFC heavyweight title in 2010 with a victory over Brock Lesnar. He reclaimed the belt in 2012 after defeating Junior Dos Santos. Widely regarded as one of the most dominant heavyweights of his era, Velasquez retired from mixed martial arts competition in 2019.
Since stepping away from MMA, he has remained involved in combat sports, coaching fighters and making appearances in professional wrestling.
