Cain Velasquez hasn’t fought within the UFC since 2019, however that didn’t cease Dana White from stepping as much as assist him when he wanted it most.
Previous to receiving a five-year prison sentence following a no-contest plea pleading to a mess of expenses together with premeditated tried homicide, Velasquez spent eight months in jail as a result of a choose repeatedly denied him bail. Velasquez was initially arrested again in February 2022 after he went on an 11-mile excessive pace chase pursuing a automobile containing Harry Goularte, a person accused of molesting the fighter’s son at a daycare owned by Goularte’s mom.
In the course of the automobile chase, Velasquez fired a number of rounds from a .40-caliber handgun on the car containing Goularte, however finally a bullet struck his stepfather Paul Bender within the arm. Bender sustained non-life threatening accidents in consequence.
It wasn’t till November 2022 that Velasquez was finally granted bail set at $1 million by Decide Arthur Bocanegra and White instantly stepped as much as assist the retired fighter.
“I don’t know if he gave out an announcement or one thing beforehand once I was locked up and likewise he did pay my bail as properly,” Velasquez revealed on a current episode of the Basement Talk podcast previous to his sentencing. “So that they’re serving to.”
White by no means publicly addressed paying Velasquez’s bail, though he repeatedly confirmed help to the previous heavyweight champion with public statements and even wrote a letter on his behalf that was offered to the court docket when Velasquez was attempting to get launched from jail.
“I’m glad for him and his household to be lastly again collectively,” White told TMZ simply after Velasquez was launched. “Cain Velasquez is an effective man, he’s an excellent individual, and I’m hoping the choose that checked out this case stated, ‘You understand what? This household has suffered sufficient.’
“As if the youngsters haven’t suffered sufficient, they misplaced their father for nearly a yr. Hopefully the actual justice will get served on this case, and Cain Velasquez—who is an effective man, an excellent father, an excellent husband—will get to be house along with his household.”
Velasquez remained out of custody till his court docket listening to in March when Bocanegra sentenced him to 5 years in jail. Prosecutors have been searching for 30 years to life behind bars.
As a result of months Velasquez spent in jail and on home arrest, he accrued sufficient time served to be eligible for parole as early as March 2026.
Whereas Velasquez is at present serving time in jail, he nonetheless has further hearings associated to his crime with the subsequent date set on June 3 for a restitution listening to, which determines how a lot cash the previous UFC heavyweight is because of pay the victims within the case.
