"Family then & still Family now" - Javier Mendez posts throwback picture with Cain Velasquez and Khabib Nurmagomedov

Javier Mendez recently reminisced about his training days as he posted an image of himself training with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Cain Velasquez on his Instagram handle.

While posting the picture, Mendez termed both the fighters as his "family" while vouching for Velasquez's release. He wrote:

4 years ago Family then & still Family now . #freecain

Check out the post below:

Ever since Velasquez's arrest, the MMA fraternity as well as his fans have voiced out in support of the former champ. The hastag #FreeCain was also seen trending on the social media platforms.

Top UFC middleweight contender Derek Brunson took to his Twitter account to post a link to his official merchandise website and claimed to give 50% of the sale proceedings to Cain Velasquez's legal fees.

Check out the tweet below:

Several others, including middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, Brendan Schaub, Ben Askren, Michael Chiesa and Justin Gaethje, have also tweeted in favor of Velasquez.

Colby Covington, during his recent UFC 272 post-fight conference, urged for the 39-year-old to be released.

Speaking to the media, he said:

"Free Cain, man. What he did, a lot of people wouldn't have done the same thing. I respect the sh*t out of him, having a kid and your kid be molested. I mean, we talk about all the time that we would do that, but he was in the situation and he actually did it. So, free Cain, Cain Velasquez. Much respect and love. I hope he gets out soon."

Watch Colby Covington talk about Cain Velasquez's release in the video below:

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Why was Cain Velasquez arrested?

The former UFC star was recently arrested in San Jose, California after being charged with first-degree attempted murder. Although the investigation into the matter is still ongoing, the former UFC heavyweight champion was reportedly imprisoned without the possibility of bail at the Santa Clara County Jail.

As per TMZ, Velasquez has faced ten charges, including physical assault and firing of a weapon into a mobile vehicle.

As per reports, Cain allegedly attacked in retaliation to a sexual assault on a member of the Velasquez family, injuring the attacker's stepfather in the process.

An official statement from the San Jose Police Department’s media relations team was released following his arrest, which read:

"Cain Velasquez was the suspect arrested yesterday in connection with this incident. He was booked into Santa Clara County main jail for attempted murder... The motive and circumstances surrounding this incident are still under investigation at this time."