Daniel Cormier could not be more happy about Cain Velasquezās release.
Velasquez, who currently faces a number of criminal charges including premeditated attempted murder, was granted bail on Tuesday, eight months after his initial arrest. After posting a $1 million bond, he was released from jail on Wednesday morning. His longtime friend and teammate Cormier spoke with the former champion and shared their conversation.
āWe FaceTimed a little bit this morning,ā Cormier told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. āThatās my boy. Iām so happy. Heās home, laying on the couch with his kid, playing. I canāt wait to go home and see him. Iām happy for that man. ā¦
āHeās happy, because there were some times where he and I sat and we visited, and weāre just talking about life and what his life became in there. Youāve got to start to adjust. I think one of the most telling things that Cain told me when we were in there, he goes, āAs I sit here and Iām eating this food and Iām taking stuff from the commissary and Iām trying to live, I think back to my pantry and I canāt imagine I can have any of this, whenever I want it.ā
āWeāre talking about pantries. Something you probably walk past every day in your house and take for granted, donāt even close the door on the pantry. Heās just like, āI canāt believe that when I was living [on the outside] I could have whatever I wanted, anytime I wanted, and itās so much.ā Because it was so limited in there. So Iām just happy for him to be back.ā
Cormier is far from alone. There was an outpouring of support for Velasquez when the bail ruling was announced, and Velasquez himself told KRON-4 upon his release that he felt āblessedā to finally be out. He told his supporters he intended to āmake something positive of this terrible situation.ā
But though the former UFC heavyweight champion is now home with his family, his legal struggles are far from over. Velasquez still faces multiple charges in his upcoming case, including attempted premeditated murder for allegedly engaging in a high-speed car chase with Harry Goularte, Patricia Goularte, and Paul Bender a firing several rounds from a .40-caliber handgun at their vehicle, ultimately hitting Bender, who suffered non-life threatening injuries. Harry Goularte is accused of sexually molesting Velasquezās 4-year-old son at a daycare owned and operated by his mother; Goularteās case is pending.
Given the charges, prosecutor Aaron French argued strenuously that Velasquez still presents āa clear and convincing threat of dangerā to the community, an argument that previous Judge Shelyna Brown upheld in a previous bail request. New Judge Arthur Bocanegra was not as swayed by that argument, saying he was ānot convincedā that Velasquez presents a danger to the alleged victims in his case nor to the public. But the judge noted specifically to Velasquez, āI hope you donāt prove me wrong.ā
Cormier believes the judge has nothing to be concerned about in that regard.
āThey switched judges, so now thereās a new judge and he said something to the effect of, āI hope you are as great a father as everybody says, and you will not do anything that puts you being with that family at risk,āā Cormier said. āAnd I donāt think for a second that heās going to. I donāt think he will.ā
Velasquez is due back in court Nov. 21 for the next hearing in his case.
