Cain Velasquez sentenced to prison for 2022 shooting
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez received his sentence on Monday for charges stemming from a February 2022 shooting where Velasquez fired a handgun at a car containing a man accused of molesting his son.
The man’s stepfather, Paul Bender, was injured in the shooting. Velasquez pled no contest to felony attempted murder, assault, and multiple weapons-related charges in August.
Velasquez was sentenced to five years in prison but will receive credit for more than three and a half years of time served. He was incarcerated for eight months and spent the remainder of that time wearing an ankle monitor. His lawyers reportedly believe he will likely serve one more year in prison when time served is factored in.
UPDATE: Cain Velasquez’s attorney expects he’ll serve 1 year, because he’ll get credit for time served in jail and the time he did at home with an ankle monitor.
— Ian Cull (@NBCian) March 24, 2025
NBC’s Ian Cull reports that the victims are “extremely disappointed” with the decision and felt the judge factored in “unfounded allegations.”
Velasquez appeared in person in a Santa Clara, California courtroom on Monday for his sentencing. His lawyers asked for time served and probation, while the district attorney’s office had asked for 25 years to life.
Prior to his sentencing, Velasquez expressed remorse for “taking the law into his own hands” during an appearance on The Kyle Kingsbury Podcast.
“The way that I handled things, that was not the way to do it,” Velasquez said. “We cannot put the law in our own hands.”
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.