Coach Javier Mendez sheds light on Cain Velasquez sentencing, recounts emotional conversation
Javier Mendez has been by Cain Velasquez's side through pretty much every life scenario, and that was no different during the former UFC heavyweight champion's recent legal battle with charges including attempted murder.
Velasquez was sentenced March 24 to five years in prison minus time served after he shot at Harry Goularte, a man accused of molesting Velasquez's son at a daycare. Velasquez struck the man's stepfather resulting in injury.
Mendez hoped Judge Arthur Bocanegra would simply hand Velasquez a time-served sentence, so he was disappointed with the verdict but ultimately praised the judge for his compassion. Mendez also added that he heard the day of the verdict was the second-to-last day for Bocanegra, who was retiring.
Mendez pointed to brain scans that Velasquez took when he was in prison, the results of which showed deficiencies in impulsivity, among other things. The brain issues were previously referenced by Velasquez's then-attorney, Mark Geragos, but not in-depth.
'I'm not happy with the judgement because he didn't deserve any more judgement,' Mendez said on the 'Javier & Mo Show.' 'Obviously, what he did was not right and it was reckless and endangered people's lives. I agree with that. But there was also a brain scan done of himself when he was in custody. They came and did a brain scan of him and they did a bunch of us, also. They found that Cain had zero impulsivity and ability to control his emotions on stress like that. Basically, his EEG they call it, they did a scan of his brain and they figured out he could not control it. I was blown away. … Cain rated a zero in impulsivity. He couldn't stop himself. What he did, he couldn't stop himself. He just reacted. He could not stop it. He was incapable of it. Science proved it was a fact. So he could not do anything about his feelings, his rage. He just went.'
When will Cain Velasquez be released?
While the judge credited Velasquez with 1283 days served, meaning 542 days remained. But as Mendez understands it, Velasquez will only serve somewhere between four and five months due to good behavior.
'Basically Cain has a year-and-a-half left,' Mendez said. 'But the way it works, usually, under good behavior, you either get an 85 percent due time or an 80 percent. So depending on where they put Cain, it'll be either an 80 percent or 85 percent. If he's at 80 percent, 80 percent of five years is what? It's four years. So basically, he'll do four to five months. Or if it's an 85, he'll probably do eight months with good behavior. I know he's going to be because when he's in there, do you know what he's going to be? He's going to be an asset to the prisoners that are in there. He's going to be an unbelievable teacher to teach them what it takes to be a man and a father because that's exactly who he is – and a proud man.'
'I would've done worse'
Mendez reiterated what his student Velasquez did was not right, but said he understood it. In fact, Mendez said if he was in Velasquez's shoes the only thing he would've done differently would've been to act more strategically.
'To be honest with you, because I wouldn't be able to think clearly, I would've done worse,' Mendez said. 'Because I would have been of clear mind. I would've made that guy look at my face when I did it to him. I would've done worse. I would've done worse. I'm not going to sit here and say I would've done the same thing that he did. No, no. I would've thought it out properly. I would've done it and I would've found a way where no one could figure out it was me. I would've done it. I would've done it. I would've done it while he looked at me for what he did to my child. I would've had him look at me while I punished him. I would've done that. I know that. That's how severe it is for us as parents. You touch our child and we're going to do whatever we can to make sure you never touch another child.'
Emotional conversation with Velasquez
Mendez spoke for about 30 minutes on the topic of Velasquez. There was emotionally-charged dialogue throughout. But nothing choked him up more than recalling when Velasquez relayed to him that he'd told his son about what happened.
Mendez recalled, 'Cain says to me, he says, 'Guess what?' I go, 'What?' Because he's kind of goofy like that. I go, 'What?' He goes, 'What do you mean, what?' He goes, 'I told him.' I go, 'What do you mean? You told who?' (He says), 'I told my son.' I go, 'What did you tell your son?' He goes, 'I told him why I was gone.' I go, 'Oh. Why?' He goes, 'Well, he needed to know why I was gone.' I go, 'No, you're right about that. He did need to know why you were gone because it's important for him to know. What did he say? Did he say anything?' He goes, 'Yeah, he said, 'Don't do it again.' Now think about that. 'Don't do it again. Don't do it again. Don't be gone again.' Now, while I'm speaking to his lawyer, who is awesome, her name is Renee Hessling. She did an awesome job. Renee, thumbs up to you. You did an awesome job. And the judge, you too. I know your hands were tied. I broke up. I started crying. I couldn't talk to her.'
Above all else, Mendez said he hopes Velasquez's young son will be OK. The boy already had to endure eight months of his father being gone, and now may have to do so through Goularte's trial, which is set to be scheduled out in June.
'What about the boy? What about him?' Mendez said. 'What's going to happen to him now that his father is going to be away and his father can be there for him day and night while he's going through the ideal with the court case? Because you know it's going to be really rough on him.'
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