Cain Velasquez Granted New Bail Hearing After Arrest on Attempted Murder Charges

Mike Chiari @@mikechiariFeatured Columnist IVMay 6, 2022

Cain Velasquez, left, sits with his attorney Mark Geragos during a hearing at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice on Monday, March 7, 2022, in San Jose, Calif. A judge had denied bail to former UFC heavyweight champion Velasquez, who was charged with attempted murder after authorities said he fired at a pickup truck carrying a man accused of sexually abusing a 4-year-old family member. Velasquez was arrested last week in San Jose. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group, Pool via AP)

Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group, Pool via AP

Former UFC star Cain Velasquez was granted a new bail hearing Friday, set for May 16 in Santa Clara County, California.

According to Damon Martin of MMAFighting.com, the new hearing was granted by Judge Jose Franco on the heels of Velasquez being denied bail on March 7.

Velasquez was arrested in February after allegedly engaging in a high-speed chase with Harry Goularte and firing multiple shots at Goularte with a handgun.

Velasquez said that Goularte molested one of his family members and cited it as the reasoning for his alleged actions.

Per Martin, Goularte's stepfather was hit with a stray bullet during the chase and was later treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The 39-year-old Velasquez is facing multiple charges, including a felony charge of attempted, premeditated murder.

Martin noted that during Velasquez's first bail hearing, his attorney Mark Geragos said Velasquez should be allowed to return to his family while awaiting trial since he is not a flight risk.

However, Judge Shelyna Brown said at the time that there was "clear and convincing evidence that there is a substantial likelihood that release would result in great bodily injury, not just to the named complaining witnesses in this case but to Santa Clara residents at large."

Velasquez is best known for his highly successful mixed martial arts career that ran from 2006 to 2019. During that time, he racked up a 14-3 record with 12 of his victories coming by way of knockout.

He also held the UFC heavyweight title twice, making him one of only four fighters to accomplish that feat.

After losing to Francis Ngannou at UFC on ESPN in February 2019, Velasquez shifted his focus to the world of professional wrestling.

He signed with WWE in 2019, but had just one televised match, losing to Brock Lesnar at WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia in October 2019.

Velasquez was released from his WWE contract in 2020, and he subsequently continued his wrestling career with Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide in Mexico.

After his bail hearing on May 16, Velasquez has a plea hearing scheduled for June 10.