A major development has emerged in the ongoing attempted murder trial of former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez.
Velasquez, who in February of 2022 went on a high-speed shooting rampage in San Jose targeting a man accused of molesting his son, was facing life in prison. However, having accepted a plea deal, the fighter will plead No Contest to attempted murder and multiple firearms-related crimes.
In exchange, premeditation allegations have been dropped by prosecutors, meaning a mandatory life sentence if convicted is no longer in play.
Velasquez will be convicted of the charges against him as a result of the plea, with sentencing to come at a later date. The East Bay Times first reported news of the deal on Friday.
A sentencing hearing of October 18, 2024 has been set for Velasquez, with the matter no longer headed to trial.
Cain Velasquez missed his intended target, Harry Goularte, in the February 2022 high speed chase and shooting, instead wounding another occupant of the vehicle Goularte was in. The charges against Goularte, who was on bail at the time of the incident, have yet to be proven in court. He has pleaded not guilty to a single felony count of lewd acts with a child stemming from a daycare operation run by Goularte’s mother.
A trial setting hearing for Goularte is expected later this month.
The victim in the Velasquez shooting, Paul Bender, expressed his dissatisfaction with the plea deal on Friday, per the East Bay Times.
“In a case like today when he changes his plea to guilty to 10 violent felonies involving a gun, and our system allows him to go free?” Bender is quoted as saying. “How in God’s name is that possible? I’m looking for someone to explain that to me.”
“This defendant decided to become judge, jury, and executioner. His actions endangered innocent bystanders, including young children and their parents who could have been injured or killed as he shot at his intended victim,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen stated.
Velasquez’s attempt at taking Goularte’s life came a full three days following the latter’s release on bail. Goularte had been traveling to be assigned a court-ordered ankle monitor, per the conditions of his release, at the time of the attack, leading to the D.A. to initially push the premeditation angle as it pertained to Velasquez.
After initially being jailed without bond and sparking a #FreeCain movement online, Velasquez was released on strict bail conditions in November of 2022.
Velasquez is a two-time UFC heavyweight champion, holding the title in 2010 before losing it to Junior Dos Santos the following year. He reclaimed gold in 2012, avenging the loss to Dos Santos, and defended the belt twice before being dethroned a second time, this time by Fabricio Werdum.
The American Kickboxing Academy fighter last competed in 2019, suffering a definitive loss at the hands of Francis Ngannou. Since then, he has embarked on a pro wrestling career, competing briefly for WWE, which saw him work a program with old UFC rival Brock Lesnar.
