Former UFC Champion Cain Velasquez Released From Prison After Shooting at Man Accused of Molesting His Son, Speaks Out For The First Time

If you want to understand the internet’s definition of a complicated hero story, just look at what’s happening with Cain Velasquez right now.

The former UFC heavyweight champ is officially out of prison and recently posted a video thanking supporters after being released on parole in February 2026. And judging by the reaction online, a lot of people are very happy to see him back.

Velasquez had been serving a five year sentence tied to a 2022 incident where he chased down a man accused of molesting his four year old son at a daycare and opened fire on the vehicle the man was riding in. The whole thing was one of the wildest and most emotional stories the MMA world has seen in years.

Unfortunately for Velasquez, the man he was aiming at wasn’t the one who ended up getting hit. During the chase, Velasquez fired multiple shots and struck the suspect’s stepfather instead. That’s what ultimately led to the attempted murder charges and the prison sentence.

Still, the backstory made the case incredibly divisive.

The man Velasquez was chasing had been accused of touching Velasquez’s young son at a daycare. And while the legal system obviously has its own process, the internet immediately did what the internet does and turned Velasquez into a sort of vigilante dad figure.

Fast forward to now, and Velasquez is out after serving roughly five years when you include the massive chunk of time he had already spent in custody before sentencing. He had more than 1,200 days credited for time served before his 2025 conviction, which dramatically shortened the actual time he spent behind bars afterward. In the end, he reportedly served around ten months in prison post conviction before being released on parole.

After getting out, Velasquez posted a video thanking the people who supported him during the entire ordeal.

And judging by the numbers, a lot of people were paying attention.

The post quickly racked up over a million views, and the replies were filled with fans welcoming him back and praising him for standing up for his kid. In typical internet fashion, the comments section looked less like a legal debate and more like a UFC crowd chanting in approval.