Former UFC champion Cain Velasquez issues emotional first statement since prison release

Mar 12, 2026 - 13:30

Cain Velasquez is taking time to adjust back to normal life after being released from custody.

In March 2025, Velasquez was sentenced to five years for attempted murder following an incident three years prior where he fired a handgun at a truck carrying a man accused of molesting his son.

Cain Velasquez, right, appears for his arraignment with attorney Edward Sousa, who appeared with him, at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022, in San Jose, Calif. Velasquez, the former UFC champion based out of San Jose, was charged with shooting at a man accused of molesting his child — Velasquez served 11 months in prison after being granted early parole last month

The two-time UFC heavyweight champion pleaded no contest in 2024 to a variety of charges before being ordered to serve five years in prison.

However, Velasquez received credit due to time served under house arrest and was granted early parole last month.

After 11 months, the MMA world exploded when Velasquez was released from prison on February 15, as a video of the 43-year-old seeing his family for the first time went viral.

He has now spoken out for the first time and is taking each new day as it comes.

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Cain Velasquez: I didn’t want to overwhelm myself

“Now that it’s been a couple of weeks since my release, I’ve had some time to get back into things and get back into a normal way of life,” Velasquez said in a video posted on Instagram.

“Get used to just doing the normal things, being in the home with the family, being there for my kids.

“And I just wanted to thank everybody for their love and support. Your words of inspiration, of encouragement, constantly just lifted me up — myself and my family.

“So I just want to take this time to thank everybody for the constant support.

“You have no idea what your words and your encouragement and your love has meant to me and my family.

“So just thank you. I’ll keep doing the work to get back to everyone and just for myself now, to slowly get back out there.

Cain Velasquez reacts after his KO loss to Francis Ngannou of Cameroon in their heavyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Talking Stick Resort Arena on February 17, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona — An emotional Velasquez said he is not rushing his transition back to normal life and is incredibly thankful for all the support

“I didn’t want to overwhelm myself with the pace of life that I was getting used to now, all of a sudden, a new way of life, a new way of living, a new rhythm.

“So for myself, I just had to get used to it, and I’ve been doing that. Again, thank you — it’s good to be out.”

There has already been an outpouring of love from the combat sports community.

UFC legends Khabib Nurmagomedov and Henry Cejudo both responded with supportive emojis in the comment section.

Ex-UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold: “The man! Thank you.”

WWE superstar Ron Killings, also known as R-Truth, also showed his support to Velasquez.

Cain Velasquez throws a punch as Brock Lesnar is against the fence in the first round during the heavyweight title bout during UFC 121 on October 23, 2010 in Anaheim, California. Velasquez defeated Lenar by first round TKO to become the new UFC heavyweight champion — Velasquez knocked out Brock Lesnar in 2010 to become the UFC heavyweight champion

Velasquez fought 15 times in the UFC, winning the promotion’s heavyweight title by famously stopping Brock Lesnar in one round at UFC 121.

He later reclaimed the UFC heavyweight title in 2012 by exacting revenge in a rematch against Junior dos Santos, who lost to Velasquez again the following year to conclude the pair’s iconic trilogy.