Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez denied bail in attempted murder case

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez was denied bail Monday in his attempted murder case, per a Santa Clara County (California) court spokesperson.

Judge Shelyna Brown of the Santa Clara County Superior Court said the «risk is too great» to let Velasquez out on bail because of the «extreme recklessness» of the retired fighter's actions.

Velasquez's next court date is April 12, per Holly Baird, head of communications for Velasquez's Geragos & Geragos legal team.

«It is clear to this court that there is clear and convincing evidence that there is a substantial likelihood that release would result in great bodily injury, not just to the named complaining witnesses in this case but to Santa Clara residents at large,» Brown said. «This case involves allegations of extreme recklessness to human life.»

Velasquez, 39, was arrested Feb. 28 after allegedly chasing down the man — Harry Eugene Goularte, who is being charged with molesting a young relative of Velasquez — and shooting a gun into Goularte's vehicle, per the Santa Clara County district attorney. Another man in the vehicle, Goularte's stepfather Paul Bender, was hit by one of the gunshots in his arm and torso. Bender suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

«Is there anybody out there who would say to a father that this is not what you should do?» Velasquez's attorney Mark Geragos said outside the courthouse Monday, per KRON 4. «Is there anybody out there who finds it beyond the pale that a father was not consulted when they released the perpetrator back into the public with zero-dollar bail, yet they're holding Cain on no bail? This is why people are disgusted — and rightfully so — with the criminal justice system.»

Last Wednesday, Velasquez was formally