Former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has opened up about his journey through incarceration and the unconventional healing methods he now uses to process trauma. The 42-year-old star spent nine months in solitary confinement following his arrest in 2022, when he fired at Harry Goulart, a man accused of m*lesting Velasquez’s then four-year-old son on multiple occasions.
The transition from freedom to confinement proved challenging.
“I just came from being free and being able to do whatever I wanted to and then all of a sudden, okay, now you got to do this,” Velasquez explained.
He found ways to release the pressure, sometimes needing to “freak out” and “lose my mind for a minute” with the understanding of fellow inmates who recognized his need to let emotions flow.
During his time in solitary, Velasquez reframed isolation as an opportunity.
“How often do we get to spend like alone time? I’m going to take that time to see what that shows me,” he said.
The experience taught him to prioritize himself and recognize his internal control over his emotional state, regardless of external circumstances.
Since his release, Velasquez has turned to plant medicine ceremonies and breathwork practices to continue his healing. “When I had my first couple ceremonies with plant medicine, I felt like I learned so much, like night and day I was just totally different in so many different aspects,” he shared.
The practice involves acceptance as its foundation.
“The problems that we have is when we’re going through something like this and it may be some trauma-based emotions attached to it. When we try to control it and say, no, no, I don’t want to deal with that right now, that’s when we have a hard time,” his guide explained during one session.
Velasquez’s perspective on his actions reflects complex reconciliation.
“I did what I did and it wasn’t correct either,” he acknowledged, adding that everything happened “perfect for me.” He revealed that not acting would have caused greater internal harm, particularly if his child had later said, “you didn’t do anything.”
Now focusing on presence and gratitude, Velasquez finds meaning in simple moments he dreamed about while incarcerated, like attending his children’s sporting events.
“I’m living my dream out,” he said. His current philosophy centers on authentic living and continuous growth. “I’m here to play this game of life the best way that I can, the most authentic that I can.”
