Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Ben Davies

Former UFC champion Cain Velasquez arrested after man shot in California

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has been arrested after a man was shot in America.

San Jose Police are investigating the shooting near Monterey Highway and Bailey Avenue in Morgan Hill, California, reports The Mirror.

It was first reported by NBC Bay Area that Velasquez has been arrested by the San Jose Police in relation to the incident.

The victim was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries, but Velasquez's involvement remains unclear at this stage.

San Jose Police released an official statement on Twitter: "Units are currently at the scene of a shooting near the intersection of Monterey Highway and Bailey Avenue.

"One adult male shot at least once transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. One suspect in custody. Unknown motive or circumstances."

The 39-year-old is currently being held in custody without bail according to online records at County of Santa Clara Department of Corrections facility. No charges have been listed.

(Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

The investigating team have asked the general public to avoid the area in California while an investigation continues.

The retired UFC star currently trains at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose and has previously been touted to return to MMA by his coach Javier Mendez.

Mendez believed that Velasquez was capable of competing again despite his previous history with injuries.

He has not competed in MMA since 2019 where he fought Francis Ngannou, suffering a brutal 26-second KO defeat.

Velasquez recently competed in the WWE after hanging up his gloves from the UFC, but his contract was cut due to the financial constraints caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The American star first fought for a heavyweight title against Brock Lesnar which he won with an explosive first-round knockout, before losing in his first defence against Junior Dos Santos.

He later rematched Dos Santos after being plagued by injuries and was became a two-time heavyweight champion by avenging his defeat.

Velasquez then announced his retirement from MMA in October 2019 after defeat to Ngannou was followed by several injuries in the latter stages of his career.

Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.