Cain Velasquez's legal troubles intensify as victims reportedly seek "exorbitant amount of money" in restitution
Cain Velasquez has been dealing with legal troubles for more than three years after shooting at Harry Goularte Jr., who was previously arrested for allegedly committing child sexual abuse on his son. The former UFC heavyweight champion missed his intended target and instead hit his stepfather, Paul Bender, causing non-life threatening injuries.
He was arrested on several charges, including attempted murder, and spent eight months incarcerated before being granted bail. 'Cardio Cain' pleaded no contest to all charges in August 2024 and was sentenced to five years in prison and four years of supervised probation last month.
While he will be eligible for parole as soon as March 2026 due to being credited with time served, Velasquez's legal troubles have not concluded. His attorney Renee Hessling made an appearance in court on Wednesday for a restitution hearing. She claimed that the victims in the case are seeking a substantial amount of money, stating:
"The victims in this case are seeking an exorbitant amount of money. The defense's position is that it's unreasonable, so we do intend on litigating this... I think there is definitely restitution owed by Mr. Velasquez here. However, there are some claims that he owes money for their daycare, and they are asking for $1 million on that end. That is certainly something we are litigating." [h/t MMA Junkie]
Velasquez was not present for the restitution hearing, which was issued a continuance until June 3. Meanwhile, Goularte Jr. is also expected to be due in court in June as he faces charges related to the alleged sexual assault. The former UFC fighter's family has also filed a civil lawsuit against the alleged perpetrator, as well as his mother and stepfather, who own the daycare where the crime allegedly occurred.
Joe Rogan makes the case for Cain Velasquez's freedom
The mixed martial arts community has strongly supported Cain Velasquez throughout his legal battle regarding shooting at Harry Goularte Jr. Joe Rogan became the latest prominent figure in the sport to publicly back the former UFC heavyweight champion.
Speaking to guest Ilia Topuria on episode #166 of JRE MMA Show, the UFC commentator stated:
"He did what every father would've done. If you're not a father, you do not understand the murderous rage you would have if some man molested your baby. You don't understand. You would see red in a way that no one could describe to you unless you're a parent – that f**king anger. If there is ever a plea for temporary insanity, that's the plea."
Rogan continued:
"If there's ever a person who could justifiably say, 'I was temporarily insane', it's a father chasing after someone, especially a man, who molests your boy. Everybody understands it. Everybody understands it. He should've never gone to jail. He's not a threat to society. He's not a danger. He shouldn't be in prison, and he already did three years. He was already in jail for three years."
Check out Joe Rogan's comments on Cain Velasquez below (36:10):
Rogan noted that the judge gave Velasquez the minimum possible sentence, while acknowledging that his actions were dangerous. He added that the world would be better if 'Cardio Cain' had killed his intended target.