Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez makes first statement after prison release
Velasquez was granted early parole after serving 10 months of his five-year sentence
Cain Velasquez is home with his family after serving 10 months in prison. Velasquez, the former UFC heavyweight champion, released his first public statement since his prison release.
Velasquez is finding normalcy one month after being granted early parole and released from custody. Velasquez was originally sentenced to five years in prison after pleading no-contest to multiple charges, including premeditated murder. On Wednesday, Velasquez opened up about what life has been like since returning home.
"Now that it's been a couple of weeks since my release, I've had some time to get back into things, get back into a normal way of life," Velasquez said on social media. "Get used to just doing the normal things. Being home with the family. Being there for my kids.
"I just wanted to thank everybody for their love and support. Your words of inspiration, of encouragement, constantly just lifted me up. My family and I. I just wanted to take this time to thank everybody for their constant support. You have no idea what your words and your encouragement and your love have meant to my family and me."
Velasquez served eight months in jail before being granted bail, plus time served on house arrest. Velasquez was originally due for parole in March, but earned additional time off for participating in rehabilitative programming. He was arrested in 2022 after an 11-mile high-speed chase in pursuit of Harry Goularte, a man accused of molesting Velasquez's son. Velasquez fired several rounds from a handgun into the vehicle containing Goularte, striking Goularte's stepfather, Paul Bender, in the arm. Goularte faces separate charges of his own for child molestation. He was released on bond against the prosecution's advice.
"I'll keep doing the work to get back to everyone. Just for myself now, just slowly get back out there. I didn't want to overwhelm myself with the pace of life that I was getting used to, and now all of a sudden, a new way of life, a new way of living, a new rhythm. For myself, I just kind of had to get used to it, and I've been doing that. Again, just thank you, thank everyone. It's good to be out."
Velasquez might be the biggest "what if" in heavyweight mixed martial arts. Dubbed "Cardio Cain," he had the potential to be the all-time best heavyweight with his combination of endurance, athleticism, power and wrestling. However, repeated injuries prevented him from fulfilling those predictions. He finished Brock Lesnar, Junior dos Santos, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Antônio "Big Foot" Silva (twice) at his peak. Velasquez retired from MMA after a 2019 knockout loss to Francis Ngannou.
He subsequently turned his attention to professional wrestling. Velasquez renewed his UFC rivalry with Lesnar at WWE Crown Jewel in 2019 before wrestling for AAA in Mexico.
