Cain Velasquez has been arrested and booked on an attempted murder charge after a shooting incident on Monday, according to an official statement from the San Jose Police Department.
The 39-year-old is best known for his successful tenure in the UFC, becoming a two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion.
The shooting occurred near the intersection of Monterey highway and Bailey Avenue in San Jose, California.
A man was reportedly shot at least once and transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Cain Velasquez’s mugshot revealed alongside statement
The circumstances surrounding the shooting incident were still under investigation at the time of writing, and no statement had been made about any alleged motive.
According to the County of Santa Clara online records, Velasquez is held without bail at the Santa Clara County Main Jail Complex. He is scheduled for a court appearance tomorrow at noon.
A tweet from the San Jose Police Department included Velasquez’s mugshot.
The UFC star does not appear to have a criminal history and has trained at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose since he began his mixed martial arts career 16 years ago.
Cain Velasquez is a highly-regarded UFC fighter
Velasquez is one of the most successful UFC fighters in the heavyweight division; however, his career was plagued by injuries.
He holds an esteemed reputation among his peers for his character and tremendous endurance rarely seen among heavyweights.
He last competed in the UFC in 2019 in a fight against the current champion Francis Ngannou, suffering the third loss of his career.
He is best known for his fights with Brock Lesnar and trilogy with Junior Dos Santos.
The Mexican-American legend is close friends and training partners with former UFC champion Daniel Cormier.
In 2019, he joined the WWE, where he starred alongside MMA rival Brock Lesnar. They competed for the WWE Championship, which Velasquez lost, having defeated Lesnar in MMA.
In 2020, Velasquez was released from his WWE contract due to budget cuts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. He then returned to Lucha Libre but never formally announced his retirement from MMA.
He lost his older brother Efrain in 2020 and paid tribute to him on Instagram.
“Happy 40th Birthday Efrain,” he wrote. “Today you would have woken up to the world celebrating your favorite sport. I am sorry you are not here to be apart of it. You were taken from this earth much too soon and everyday that goes by I think of you. I know the pain I feel will never go away but I know you are watching over me and will continue to guide me through life.
“I always looked up to you and thank you for introducing me to the world of wrestling. Without you, I would not be where I am today. Rest In Peace Big Brother and give Mom a kiss for me.”
Velasquez is married with two children, a boy, and a girl.