Cain Velasquez was released from prison on parole Sunday.
The former UFC heavyweight champion posted the news on Instagram and added that he was “exploring the idea” of hosting a one-day holotropic breather seminar in San Jose, Calif. Part of his post read:
Breathwork has been a powerful tool for me—physically, mentally, and spiritually — and I’d like to share it with others in a focused, intentional setting.
Velasquez was given a five-year prison sentence in 2024 for a series of charges, including attempted murder. The charges stemmed from a 2022 car chase with Harry Goularte Jr., a man who it was alleged had sexually assaulted Velasquez’s son. Velasquez unloaded a handgun into a vehicle carrying Goularte Jr., causing non-life-threatening injuries to a family member inside the car.
While initially entering a not-guilty plea, Velasquez later changed to a no-contest plea by September 2024. The change meant that Velasquez would be convicted of the crime but not charged as guilty.
The 43-year-old was given credit for roughly three and a half years already served when he was sentenced last year. Velasquez initially was given a March 2026 parole eligibility date, but that was later changed to February.
Prominent people in MMA, including UFC’s Dana White and former Bellator promoter Scott Coker, rallied around Velasquez, and that continued Sunday when Derek Brunson celebrated Velasquez’s prison release.
