Cain Velasquez released from Soledad prison after 2022 shooting case
Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez was released Sunday from a prison in Soledad, California, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed. Velasquez had been serving a sentence tied to a 2022 high-speed chase that ended in a shooting.
Sentence, credits and release details
In 2025, Velasquez was sentenced to five years in prison on an attempted murder conviction. The sentence included roughly three years of time already served while he awaited trial and sentencing. The corrections agency said he was also eligible for credit-earning opportunities during incarceration and had served the full sentence as defined by law.
At his March 2025 sentencing hearing, Velasquez told the judge he accepted whatever punishment was imposed, called his actions reckless and dangerous, and said he was truly sorry. His defense attorney has said he is not available for comment immediately following his release.
Facts of the 2022 chase and shooting
The events that led to the conviction unfolded in February 2022 during an 11-mile, high-speed pursuit in Morgan Hill, California. Velasquez chased a vehicle driven by a man identified as Harry Goularte. Authorities say the pursuit culminated in shots fired; Goularte's stepfather was struck and injured during the incident. Goularte's mother and stepfather were in the vehicle at the time.
Goularte was later accused of molesting Velasquez's 4-year-old son while the child was at a daycare. Goularte has pleaded not guilty to the felony charge and his case remains pending in the courts. Court records show a trial-setting hearing is scheduled for April 15. No additional date or time was listed in the records available.
Aftermath and legal landscape
Velasquez's release closes the chapter on the criminal sentence tied directly to the 2022 incident, but related legal matters surrounding the allegations against Goularte continue to move through the judicial system. The shooting case that produced the attempted murder conviction focused on the actions taken during the chase and the shooting that followed. Prosecutors argued those actions warranted the sentence ultimately imposed; Velasquez acknowledged his behavior in court and accepted responsibility in his remarks to the judge.
Supporters of Velasquez have pointed to his expressed remorse and his prior service in mixed martial arts, while critics emphasized the danger posed to bystanders during the chase. The broader investigation and the separate criminal case involving the child molestation allegation will determine any additional legal consequences for the other individuals involved.
With Velasquez now free from custody as defined by the corrections agency, questions remain about his immediate plans and whether further civil or administrative matters will arise. For now, the focus shifts to the pending proceedings related to the alleged abuse, which court records indicate will be addressed at the trial-setting hearing next month.
