"How can you not sympathize with that man?" - UFC commentators react to Cain Velasquez being sentenced to 5 years in prison

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has been sentenced to five years in prison for attempted murder. UFC commentators Paul Felder and Michael Bisping weighed in on the case and shared their thoughts.

In 2022, Velasquez fired shots at a vehicle that contained the person accused of molesting his then-four-year-old son, Harry Goularte, who has denied the allegations.

The Santa Clara County Court in San Jose sentenced the former UFC heavyweight to five years in prison on March 24, including time already served. He is expected to serve less than two years in prison.

Speaking on the Believe You Me podcast, Paul Felder and Michael Bisping discussed Cain Velasquez’s sentence. Felder acknowledged that while the former heavyweight’s actions were legally wrong, they were understandable given the situation, saying:

“I think anybody with a child can only know. And he knows it. Like, yeah, he should have gone about handling things in a different way. He was emotional, and how could you not be, for what he had to find out and what he was dealing with? But if you have a child—I mean, how can you not sympathize with that man for what he had to find out, you know?”

Bisping suggested that many fathers in Velasquez’s position would have reacted similarly and emphasized that the former heavyweight champion’s public statements of regret were likely guided by legal advice:

“I saw Cain Velasquez. I saw a video online or something, and he was taking accountability. He was saying that he handled it incorrectly and stuff like that. And, you know, the sentence has been passed, and what little I say on this podcast isn't going to change a goddamn thing."

He continued:

"Cain Velasquez was saying the right thing that his lawyer probably told him to say. You gotta say, I was wrong. You gotta say, I regret my actions. The reality is, fair play he did what most men would do if they found out about that situation. Because a lot of people talk about it, but I'm just throwing it out there, if I found out that somebody was doing that to my children, yeah, I'm not gonna be accountable for my actions.”

Check out Paul Felder and Michael Bisping’s discussion below (1:48:29):

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Bryce Mitchell shares his thoughts on Cain Velasquez's legal verdict

Bryce Mitchell took to Instagram to express his displeasure over Cain Velasquez being sentenced to five years in prison.

The UFC featherweight voiced his frustration and argued that action should be taken against the accused molester of Velasquez’s son instead:

"Pardon Cain Velasquez and put these child molesters to death. That's what I would do."

Check out Bryce Mitchell’s comments below: