Cain Velasquez’s sentencing date set in attempted murder trial

The attempted murder trial of former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is nearing its conclusion in California.

Velasquez, as reported by MMA Fighting, will appear in Santa Clara County District court on October 18th for sentencing. He pleaded no contest to several charges, including attempted murder, last month after cutting a deal with the prosecution.

Despite the deal, Velasquez still faces potential jail time for allegedly attempting to murder Harry Goularte. Goularte is accused of molesting Velasquez’s son at a daycare in 2022.

Velasquez chased after Goularte and Paul Bender, Goularte’s stepfather, during an 11-mile high-speed car chase. The former UFC heavyweight champion allegedly fired several shots at the vehicle during the pursuit, striking Bender in the arm.

Velasquez faces anything from probation to a life sentence for the charges. He was first arrested in Feb. 2022 but was granted bail eight months later after a series of attempts by his defense.

Cain Velasquez faces potential jail time at October 18th sentencing

Velasquez, after his release from prison, returned to coaching at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, CA. He’s worked and cornered several fighters in recent months in the UFC, Bellator, and PFL.

Velasquez is recognized as one of the greatest UFC heavyweights of all time after an accomplished run in the Octagon. He won the UFC heavyweight championship by finishing Brock Lesnar at UFC 121.

A loss to Junior dos Santos ended Velasquez’s brief title reign in 2011, before earning two wins over dos Santos later. His second title reign ended at UFC 188; falling to Fabrício Werdum by third-round submission.

Velasquez defeated Travis Browne in his UFC 200 comeback fight before a string of injuries hampered his career. He returned in 2019 against Francis Ngannou, losing by a 26-second knockout.

Velasquez could potentially enter the UFC Hall of Fame in the coming years, regardless of his looming sentence. He amassed a 14-3 professional MMA record.