Cain Velasquez is heading to the GFL, but in a management role.
The promotion announced via a release on Friday that the former UFC heavyweight champ has signed with the promotion as a team manager — although the timing is a bit strange. Velasquez is expected to appear in court for a sentencing hearing for attempted murder charges on Jan. 24.
According the release, Velasquez has tapped American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendez as head coach of his team.
Velasquez plead no-contest to the attempted murder charge, and others, stemming from an 2022 incident where the highly-touted heavyweight chased a car for 11 miles that contained Harry Goularte, a man accused of molesting the fighter’s son at a daycare owned by his mother. Velasquez is accused of firing several rounds from a .40-caliber handgun at the vehicle, striking Goularte’s stepfather — who sustained non-life threatening injuries — in the arm.
After spending eight months in jail after his initial arrest, Velasquez has been free since being released on $1 million bail.
GFL officials also officially announced the signing of Paige VanZant, along with other women’s competitors such as Cynthia Calvillo, Julia Budd, and Tonya Evinger. As of now, the inaugural GFL event date has not been announced.