Cain Velasquez (14-3), the former two-time UFC heavyweight champion, has been granted a court order to attend this Saturday’s Bellator 300 card, working as a licensed corner man for 155-pound champion Usman Nurmagomedov (17-0).
Velasquez spent the majority of 2022 behind bars after pleading not guilty to multiple charges stemming from an incident in which he chased down, and shot at, an alleged child sex offender. The “victim” in this case, Harry Goularte, is being charged with assaulting Velasquez’s young son, which fueled the enraged attack.
The former MMA champion and WWE wrestler is currently out on $1 Million bail and expected to return to court in December.
Usman, the cousin of former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, will defend his lightweight title versus Brent Primus (12-3) this weekend at Bellator 300, and the CSAC has confirmed that Velasquez will be in attendance in the titleholder’s corner.
“He is scheduled to corner, We are in possession of a court order permitting him to do so.”
-California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive director Andy Foster
Usman Nurmagomedov is widely considered one of the very best lightweight competitors outside the UFC. In November 2022, he was victorious over Patricky Putbull (25-11) in a 5-round unanimous decision, securing him Bellator’s 155-pound strap.
Usman Nurmagomedov is off to a strong start in the #Bellator288 co-main event 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DdstAGXJH1
— bjpenndotcom (@bjpenndotcom) November 19, 2022
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Back in 2010, Velasquez reached the pinnacle of professional MMA when he defeated Pride FC legend Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (34-10-1) with punches in the very first round. This earned him a shot at Brock Lesnar, who at the time held the UFC heavyweight title and was coming off three straight finishes versus Randy Couture, Frank Mir, and Shane Carwin.
What a decade❗️
Look back at where it all started in 2010! The rise of Cain Velasquez and Brock Lesnar, Chuck Liddell’s last fight at Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen… pic.twitter.com/LKa5IxwwzV
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) December 24, 2019
Velasquez would go on to defeat Lesnar by first round knockout, and got his first taste of UFC championship gold.
With the fate of his future currently in a holding pattern as he awaits his court date later this year, Velasquez is doing his best to keep busy. In addition to this weekend’s appearance at Bellator, he also made his return to pro wrestling late last year in the Mexican promotion Lucha Libre AAA.
Cain Velasquez had a really solid showing Saturday night in his return to lucha libre with AAA pic.twitter.com/lfjVzCQTLY
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) December 4, 2022