Former UFC Heavyweight Champion and WWE alumnus Cain Velasquez pleaded no contest in August 2024 to charges related to a shooting that occurred in February 2022. He received a five-year sentence in March of the previous year, which included three and a half years of time served.
Initially, Velasquez was eligible for parole in March of this year, but POST Wrestling reported in December of the previous year that this date was changed to February 2026.
Recently, Velasquez posted on his Instagram account, announcing that he is scheduled to be released on Sunday, February 15th. In the post, he mentioned that he is exploring the idea of hosting a one-day Holotropic Breathing seminar in the San Jose area. He expressed that breathwork has been a powerful tool for him physically, mentally, and spiritually, and he wants to share it with others in a focused and intentional setting.
Velasquez was arrested in February 2022 after engaging in a car chase during which he shot at a man accused of molesting his son at a daycare. The high-speed chase involved him following the car of the accused sex offender, along with his stepfather and mother. Velasquez rammed his vehicle into their car and fired multiple shots, but he missed the intended target and instead hit the stepfather. He was subsequently charged with attempted murder and several gun-related offenses.
During his career, Velasquez had a brief six-month stint in WWE, which included a match against Brock Lesnar at WWE Crown Jewel 2019. He suffered a knee injury and was released as part of the company's pandemic-related cuts in April 2020.
