"Good news," "I will donate to his parole" - Fans react as Cain Velasquez is eligible for parole in March 2026

Modified Apr 08, 2025 18:52 GMT

MMA fans react to the news of Cain velasquez being eligible for parole. [Image Courtesy: Getty Images] — MMA fans react to the news of Cain Velasquez being eligible for parole. [Image courtesy: Getty Images]

MMA fans were pleased after learning that Cain Velasquez will be eligible for parole for the first time in March 2026. Some of them, however, demanded his release even sooner.

Velasquez was adjudged guilty of firing at a vehicle that was carrying the alleged molester of his four-year-old son. One of Velasquez's shots hit the accused Harry Goularte Jr.'s stepfather, Paul Bender, who was also boarding the car at that moment, landing the UFC legend in legal trouble.

The Santa Clara County court sentenced the former two-time UFC heavyweight champion to five years imprisonment on March 24, 2025, for the 2022 shooting. However, a recent Instagram post from @mmajunkie detailed that the 42-year-old has been declared eligible for parole in March 2026.

The post also clarified that the former UFC fighter could be set free even sooner on account of decent behavior and active participation in various prison events.

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Check out MMA Junkie's post below:

Fans expressed joyous emotions in the comments section of the post after learning about Velasquez's parole eligibility.

One user wrote:

"Good news"

Another commented:

"I will donate to his parole"

Others wrote:

"He shouldn’t be locked up anyway"

"He will get paroled out first chance the state gives him"

Check out a few more reactions below:

Fan reactions. [Screenshots courtesy: @mmajunkie on Instagram]

When Cain Velasquez's UFC rivalry with Brock Lesnar stretched on to the WWE

Cain Velasquez is one of three fighters to defeat the former UFC heavyweight champ and WWE star, Brock Lesnar. The two heavyweights collided at the main event of UFC 121 with the divisional title on the line.

Velasquez landed a vicious knee on Lesnar early in the fight, which eventually helped him earn a TKO victory in the first round.

Velasquez also joined the WWE and had his lone match against Lesnar at WWE Crown Jewel in 2019. The encounter ended in a defeat for the California native in just 88 seconds.

Check out the full WWE match between Cain Velasquez and Brock Lesnar below:

About the author

Souvik took up writing as his profession in 2019 and has worked for various publications, including EssentiallySports and The SportsRush since then.
While he holds a diploma in electrical engineering, Souvik’s love for combat sports and the written word has ensured a seamless transition to his current profession.
As of the UFC, Dustin Poirier is his favorite fighter. 'The Diamond's' respectful attitude in a trash-talk-heavy sport makes Souvik root for him. Poirier's five-round war against Dan Hooker in June 2020 is his all-time favorite MMA scrap to date.
Furthermore, he is of the opinion that MMA has taken over boxing as the world’s top combat sport due to the regularity of events.
Coming to his writing, Souvik will do everything to ensure that his pieces are informative and relevant, which is perhaps why one of his articles is still the most viewed in the MMA division of EssentiallySports.
Souvik’s other interests include singing (he’s a frontman for a rock band in Kolkata), playing guitar, and watching documentaries.

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Edited by Subham