Cain Velasquez pleads no contest to attempted murder

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez entered a plea of no contest to felony attempted murder, assault and multiple weapons charges in a California court on Friday in exchange for a lighter sentence.

Velasquez, 42, was facing an attempted murder trial for a Feb. 2022 incident when he allegedly shot repeatedly at a man accused of molesting his son -- but ended up wounding the man's stepfather instead -- after a high-speed car chase. He entered the plea before Judge Arthur Bocanegra at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice in San Jose, Calif.

According to The Mercury News, the former champion was scheduled to begin trial on Sept. 9. A sentencing hearing is set for Oct. 18, but the actual sentencing is now expected to occur at a later date.

As a result of the plea, the premeditated murder charges against him will be dropped, which means he will no longer face a mandatory sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole.

"This defendant decided to become judge, jury, and executioner. His actions endangered innocent bystanders, including young children and their parents who could have been injured or killed as he shot at his intended victim," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. "We have excellent law enforcement in this county. Let them do their jobs."

Velasquez was accused of shooting at a pickup truck carrying Harry Goularte -- the man accused of molesting Velasquez's then 4-year-old son at a daycare owned by Goularte's mother -- during an 11-mile car chase on the afternoon of Feb. 28, 2022. Goularte was being driven by his stepfather, Paul Bender, as they traveled from Morgan Hill to San Jose. Velasquez reportedly fired multiple rounds at the vehicle with a .40 caliber handgun that missed his intended target and struck Bender in the arm and torso. Velasquez was arrested without incident following the car chase.

Velasquez was released from jail in Nov. 2022 on $1 million bail while awaiting trial. Goularte faces ongoing child molestation charges.

The county probation department will produce a sentencing recommendation in the coming months that weighs the severity of the incident with Velasquez's lack of a criminal history and the sexual abuse case in which his son is the reported victim.