After over three years of legal turmoil, public outcry, and emotional twists that rivaled anything in the squared circle, former UFC Heavyweight Champion and WWE/AAA performer Cain Velasquez has officially been sentenced in his attempted murder case.
On March 24, Velasquez was handed a 5-year prison sentence along with four years of supervised probation. Due to time already served—including eight months in jail and nearly two years under house arrest—Velasquez won’t be required to serve the full five years behind bars, but this marks the most significant development in one of combat sports’ most tragic and emotionally complex stories.
The incident that led to the charges occurred in February 2022, when Velasquez engaged in an 11-mile high-speed chase through the Bay Area, ultimately firing a gun into a vehicle carrying Henry Goularte, the man later accused of molesting Velasquez’s young child. The bullet struck Goularte’s stepfather, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Velasquez was originally hit with 10 felony charges, including attempted murder, all related to firearm use. He initially pleaded not guilty in August 2022, but later changed his plea to no contest, leading to this week’s sentencing.
In recent interviews, Velasquez expressed remorse, acknowledging that although his emotions were justified, his actions were not.
“I shouldn’t have taken the law into my own hands,” he said on a podcast appearance, noting he regrets the harm caused and wishes the Goularte family well.
As for Henry Goularte, the man at the center of the original accusations, he has pleaded not guilty to charges of lewd acts with a minor and is set to face trial in July.
This entire case sparked enormous debate across the wrestling and MMA communities, with fans, peers, and even notable fighters like Dana White and Khabib Nurmagomedov expressing sympathy for Velasquez and frustration with the legal system.
But with sentencing now delivered, a line—however faint—is drawn under this chapter of Cain Velasquez’s story. It’s a reminder of the emotional chaos that can erupt when justice feels too slow, and heartbreak becomes unbearable.