UFC icon Cain Velasquez sees light at the end of the tunnel with new Parole date, to return sooner than expected

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez could leave prison earlier than first expected. The 43-year-old MMA legend has had his parole eligibility date updated. Velasquez is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for his role in a shooting and high-speed car chase in 2022. The incident involved Harry Goularte, a man accused of molesting Velasquez’s son at a daycare facility.

Velasquez pleaded that he did not want to contest attempted murder charges in October 2024. He is currently being held at the Soledad State Prison in California. New information has suggested that Velasquez could apply for parole sooner than originally expected.

Cain Velasquez will now be eligible for Parole in February 2026

According to the California Incarcerated Records database, cited by MMA Fighting, Cain Velasquez is now eligible for parole in February 2026. His original eligibility date was March 2026. Prisoners in California can reduce their time by taking part in rehabilitative programs, and because of this, the UFC star may now apply for parole one month earlier.

Velasquez was arrested after chasing a vehicle carrying Goularte and firing several handgun rounds. During the incident, Goularte’s stepfather was struck by a bullet. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Earlier this year, former UFC champion Daniel Cormier spoke about Velasquez’s legacy inside the ring. While discussing the retired fighter on a podcast with Aljamain Sterling, Cormier praised his former teammate’s ability and work ethic. He said, ”[Velasquez] was the best. I have never seen anything like it. I still haven’t seen anything like it. The training, the skill set, the ability. He really could do it all. If he didn’t have all of those injuries, he would be by far the greatest heavyweight of all time. No one would have beaten him.”

Cormier also spoke about Velasquez’s mindset and background. “He was one of those kids who had nothing; he had so little, so when he would get mixed up with people, no matter what they told him to do, he would do it. So, the strength coach told him to leg press 800 pounds; he did it… He worked, and he worked himself into injury after injury after injury”, he added.

Notably, Velasquez remains one of the most respected heavyweights in UFC history. His future now depends on the parole process in 2026.

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