Judge denies bail to UFC champion charged in shooting

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A judge in California denied bail Monday to former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, who faces attempted murder and multiple gun assault charges after authorities said he fired at a pickup truck carrying a man accused of sexually abusing a 4-year-old family member.

Velasquez was arrested in San Jose last week after he chased a pickup carrying the man through busy streets in three Silicon Valley cities, ramming the vehicle with his own pickup truck during an 11-mile (18-kilometer) high-speed chase, prosecutors said.

Velasquez, 39, fired a .40-caliber pistol at the vehicle several times, wounding the man’s stepfather, who was driving, in his arm and torso, prosecutors said.

Celebrity attorney Mark Geragos, who is representing Velasquez, told reporters outside the court that he plans on vindicating his client and getting him back with his family, the Mercury News reported.

Velasquez transitioned to pro-wrestling after retiring from his MMA career in 2019. A former two-time UFC heavyweight champion, he earned title belts in 2010 and 2012.