When Cain
Velasquez was released from a holding facility in Santa Clara,
California, in November 2022 on $1 million bail, it unclear how the
cost was covered.
As it turns out, UFC CEO Dana White was more than ready to lend a
helping hand to his former heavyweight champion. During an
appearance on the “Basement Talk” podcast, Velasquez revealed that
White took on that financial burden. The UFC leader himself has
never publicly confirmed that he paid for Velasquez’s bail.
“I don’t know if he gave out a statement or something beforehand
when I was locked up and also he did pay my bail as well,”
Velasquez said before sentencing (h/t MMAFighting.com). “So they’re helping.”
Velasquez spent approximately eight months in jail before being
released on bail. He remained under GPS surveillance and was not
allowed to leave his home without the court’s permission, which was
granted on multiple occasions to attend professional wrestling and
MMA events.
In March, Velasquez was sentenced to five years in prison during a
hearing at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice in San Jose,
California. During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors asked Judge
Arthur Bocanegra give Velasquez 30 years to life in prison, while
the defense lobbied for no time in prison. Velasquez received
credit for 1,283 days of time served and could be eligible for
parole as soon as March 2026. The former UFC heavyweight king
pleaded no contest to attempted murder, felony assault and
additional gun charges stemming from a February 2022 incident in
which the former fighter fired a gun at a truck containing multiple
people. During a high-speed chase, Velasquez shot at the vehicle
containing Harry Goularte, who was accused of molesting Velasquez’s
son. One of the shots hit and injured Goularte’s stepfather, Paul
Bender.
White was one of a number of prominent figures from the MMA world
who wrote a letter on Velasquez’s behalf following the
fighter’s arrest.
“I have known Mr. Velasquez for more than 15 years, and during his
time as an active athlete with UFC, he represented our company with
dignity and always treated others with respect,” White wrote in
2022. “He was a model example of how a professional athlete should
carry himself, projecting a positive image to UFC’s fanbase.”
Although the trial has ended, Velasquez still must pay restitution.
According to his attorney, the victims are
seeking an “exorbitant amount of money,” potentially in the
neighborhood of $1 million. The restitution setting hearing is
currently scheduled for June 3.
