Cain Velasquez has not competed inside the Octagon since 2019 but that does not mean his connections to UFC have ended. He was one of the greatest heavyweights in the promotion—a two-time heavyweight champ with a record of 14-3-0. At one point, he was the winningest fighter in the UFC’s heavyweight division, having participated in wars with the likes Junior Dos Santos and ‘Bigfoot’ Silva. But post his fighting career, he was in a world of trouble for an act of protecting his son. The former champ recently received a 5-year prison sentence following a no-contest plea to a swarm of charges due to attempted murder against a man who allegedly molested his son.
While a case can be made for the fighter, who acted out of pure instincts as a father, he did fire at the suspect and his father, the latter of whom sustained injuries. As result, he was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison in 2022. Having served time in a county jail, and house arrest, Velasquez is set to serve his time till March 2026.
Meanwhile, Dana White is said to have paid Velasquez’s bail of $1 million. In a letter dated March 4, the UFC bossman appealed to a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge, requesting that Velasquez’s personality be regarded, hailing him “a model example of how a professional athlete should carry himself“. White also pointed to the fact that Velasquez had no prior arrest record.
Several UFC veterans supported Velasque like Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman, who spoke about the heavyweight’s prowess and his unfortunate state right now, on the Pound 4 Pound podcast. ‘Triple C’ said, “Cain, we are with you in spirit. It’s a bitter day today, but we’re happy that he ain’t get 15 or 20 [years] for attempted murder.” Usman chimed in, “Cain, keep your head up. The MMA Community is with you, and we are always going to be here praying for you.”
Furthermore, his teammates, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier have continuously advocated for his release. It was such a touching moment when Team Khabib’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, shared his views on his story. He posted the story and wrote, “Real men don’t talk.”
UFC CEO DANA WHITE with post event media during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Etihad Campus, SportCity, Manchester, England on the 27 July 2024. Copyright: xAndyxRowlandx PMI-6350-0002
All this happened back in 2022, and it looks like the MMA world still supports the heavyweight star. But Cain Velasquez isn’t the whole fighter Dana White has silently helped—something he’s never boasted about. Let’s see who else he helped.
Dana White helped Muhammad Mokaev after his UFC exit
After Velasquez revealed what White had done for him, the gesture lit up MMA fans on social media, and the comments were filled with admiration. One such comment was by Mokaev and he wrote, “When I had a car crash after being cut from UFC I received some money from Dana too, not sure what for but it meant a lot to me.”
This revelation stunned the MMA world because despite being cut from UFC, the boss did not abandon him. No announcement, no spotlight, just a silent gesture without taking the limelight.
After UFC 304, Mokaev was riding high in the UFC. He beat Manel Kape in a wild grudge match. However, behind the scenes, things went south. The UFC CEO, matchmakers, and UFC CBO Hunter Campbell, reportedly weren’t pleased with his behavior.
Dana White confessed, “He’s just a guy that did everything wrong and p—- these guys off. I wasn’t involved in any of the stuff that happened with him. But you know, the matchmakers and Hunter (Campbell) were, and they weren’t happy with him.” Naturally, the head honcho was angry, and yet, he helped Mokaev in his time of need. What do you think about Dana White’s silent help to his fighters? Tell us in the comments below.
The post Team Khabib Drops a 4-Word Response for Dana White After the CEO Spends $1,000,000 for Cain Velasquez’s Bail appeared first on EssentiallySports.