Cain Velasquez pleads No Contest to Attempted Murder of Pedophile: Avoids Life Sentence

Cain Velasquez

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has pleaded no contest to attempted murder.

Over two years ago, Cain Velasquez was arrested for allegedly pursuing and shooting at a man named Harry Goularte. This individual was accused of molesting Velasquez’s young son at a daycare, with the ex-UFC star chasing a car carrying Goularte before shooting a bullet that struck his intended victm’s stepfather.

His trial was initially set to begin next month, with attempted murder being one of the charges. However, according to East Bay Times, Cain decided to cut a deal on Friday that would see him plead no contest. In exchange for that, he will likely be in for a lesser sentence from the judge.

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His premeditation chargers were also dropped, with Velasquez now looking set to avoid going to a jury trial that could’ve led to a guilty verdict that may have landed him a life sentence. 

The next hearing for his sentencing is scheduled for October 18 later this year.

Cain Velasquez pleads no contest

Cain Velasquez was incarcerated for nearly nine months before being granted bail, which cost $1 million. He was initially facing a string of other gun-related charges but after pleading no contest, there are far more options available to the judge when it comes to how he is sentenced.

As for Goularte, he is facing one count of lewd acts with a child with a civil case against him being scheduled for May 2025.

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As you can imagine, this has led to a real array of reactions from mixed martial arts fans. As has been the case for the majority of this ordeal, they tend to side with Cain Velasquez. During his time with the UFC, the former champ was involved in some of the biggest fights in the history of the heavyweight division.