Cain Velasquez, the former UFC heavyweight champion, walked out of a California state prison on February 15, 2026. His release came after just ten months behind bars, ending part of a legal saga that started when Velasquez shot at a man accused of molesting his young son.
Velasquez, now 43, was given a five-year prison sentence, but he didn’t serve all of it. Credit for time already spent in custody, good behavior behind bars, and keeping up with rehab programs meant the state cut his term way down. When Velasquez finally stepped into daylight, family met him outside the gates, their emotions boiling over in front of a mariachi band. There were hugs, some laughs, and a heavy mix of relief and exhaustion.
The root of it all was a February 2022 incident near San Jose. Police say Velasquez chased Harry Goularte Jr., the very man suspected, but not convicted, of abusing Velasquez’s son. Velasquez ended up firing several shots from his .40-caliber handgun while pursuing Goularte’s vehicle. None hit Goularte, but his stepfather, Paul Bender, took a bullet and survived. Goularte’s recent release from jail had reportedly set Velasquez off.
The courtroom battle dragged on for over two years. In March 2025, Velasquez pleaded no contest to attempted murder, felony assault, and weapons charges. Prosecutors originally wanted him locked up for decades. The judge was less harsh, weighing up the time he’d already spent in jail and acknowledging that Velasquez had tried to turn a page by sticking with counseling and rehab programs. “One man’s decision to take the law into his own hands left an innocent man wounded and endangered. If you want to do justice, please apply for a badge,” the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office said after sentencing. The message was clear: acting on outrage is no excuse for crossing a legal line.
Velasquez, his family, and supporters surrounded him after his release, but he’s not done with the system yet. He has a restitution hearing in March to decide how much he’ll have to pay to cover medical bills and damages. On top of that, Gauolarte’s own legal case isn’t resolved, and civil lawsuits are waiting in the wings.
WATCH Cain reunite with his family:
Here's the moment Cain Velasquez reunited with his family
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) February 15, 2026
(Video courtesy of Mariachi Jalisciense) pic.twitter.com/g3AwgeYtrD
When Velasquez looked back on his actions, he didn’t sugarcoat what went down. “What I did was very dangerous to other people. It was me that did that and reacted in that way,” he admitted publicly. Those words landed with fans, but also with people debating the limits of self-defense and what drives someone to break the law.
During his defense, lawyers highlighted the kind of adrenaline, grief, and frustration that can fill a parent, especially one already battered by the risks and injuries of high-level MMA. Backers pointed to his clean record outside that moment and the wave of support from big names in the fight world, Dana White among them. White called Velasquez “the ideal of what a pro athlete is supposed to be.”
For most of this past decade, Velasquez was known as a punishing force in the cage, ruling the heavyweight class from 2010 to 2015. He walked away from fighting in 2019, then tried his hand in pro wrestling, but his legacy inside the Octagon has remained, for better or worse, part of his public identity.
His release hasn’t ended the controversy, either. Some see a father pushed to the brink, others see a line crossed that society can’t ignore. That tension plays out daily, from MMA fan circles to courtrooms. As Velasquez picks up the pieces at home, more hearings and headlines loom over his every move. The restitution case in March will give some finality to the criminal side, but lawsuits and public debate are sure to drag on much longer. Whether redemption, regret, or just reality dominates the next chapter of his life remains to be seen.
