For the first time since being released from Soledad State Prison in February, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez is opening up about his situation and time spent incarcerated.
Back in February 2022, Velasquez would go on an 11-mile car chase spanning from Morgan Hill to San Jose, CA, chasing Harry Goularte Jr., whom the fighter accused of molesting his four-year-old son.
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Velasquez unloaded a handgun into Goularte Jr.’s vehicle, occupied by the accused male along with his mother and stepfather, with his stepfather being the one to be struck by a bullet during the shooting.
April 12, 2022; San Jose, CA, USA; Cain Velasquez appears at the Superior Court Hall of Justice in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Matt Erickson-USA TODAY
Velasquez was arrested and booked into Santa Clara County Jail before later being released on house arrest.
He’d then be sentenced to a 5-year prison term, which was reduced to 11 months thanks to the 1,200 days credited while awaiting trial.
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Learning from mistakes
Cain Velasquez speaks candidly about the decision he made to protect his child and the consequences that came with it:
“I did what I did, and it wasn’t right.
At the same time, everything that happened was part of my journey. I have to live with what I did, but if I hadn’t done… pic.twitter.com/Cc1GhpmlFi
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 3, 2026
Sitting down with NBC Bay Area, Velasquez spoke with sincerity as he described trying to inspire others through his own wrongdoings.
“It all just starts with forgiving yourself,” the former UFC Champion said. “Hopefully somebody can see my story, and hopefully that can help them as well. They can learn from my mistakes as well.”
Now a coach at San Jose’s American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) gym, Velasquez told NBC that his time in Soledad State Prison showed him he just wanted to get back to doing good for his community.
May 23, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez attends the Anthony Johnson (not pictured) and Daniel Cormier (not pictured) light heavyweight championship bout during UFC 187 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Cormier won via third-round TKO. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
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“In the last four years of getting things taken away…I’ve always stayed really just true to myself and how I want to continue with life and that’s living from a place of love and giving back,” stated the former UFC champion.
As Velasquez looks to write a new chapter in his detailed story, it’s important to note how sincere and upfront the fighter has been during this time of vulnerability when most would have shut out the world.
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