The two-time UFC heavyweight champion exits California prison after credit for time served — and already has a fight offer waiting.
Ex-UFC star Cain Velasquez has ended his prison sentence.
Outlets such as the San-Jose Mercury News reported that Velasquez was released from Soledad’s Correctional Training Facility on Sunday. Details on the terms of its release are unavailable at this time. Video has surfaced of Velasquez being welcomed by his family and a mariachi band.
The former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion was sentenced to five years in prison, but he was credited with 1,283 days served back in Feb. 2025. Velasquez pleaded no contest to attempted murder among other charges.
Velasquez shot at a vehicle that had Harry Goularte in it. Goularte is accused of bothering Velasquez’s son at a daycare. Goularte is facing a criminal charge amid the accusation, but he is currently out on bail.
Velasquez received interest from at least one fight promotion even before his prison release. The official X account of Dirty Boxing Championship made a post publicly offering Velasquez a deal.
“Dirty Boxing Championship will offer a multi-fight contract to Cain Velasquez to fight as soon as he’s free,” the image in the promotion’s post on X stated.
Back in 2024, Velasquez’s longtime friend and training partner Daniel Cormier recalled how surreal it was watching his MMA mentor go through the ordeal during an appearance on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast.
“He went to jail for a while, it was the saddest thing. I would go [to jail], sit with him, and the things we spoke about. It was so crazy because to me, he was the reason I knew I could be a world champ. Because out of our gym, he made it possible to dream that big. Watching the way he worked, watching how committed he was to becoming the best in the world. I knew that I could be the best…”
