Cain Velasquez Expected to Set Trial Date in March After Latest Court Appearance

Cain Velasquez moved closer to a trial date as he appeared in Santa Clara County, Calif., court on Wednesday.

The former UFC heavyweight champion identified his counsel during a hearing before Judge Daniel T. Nishigaya. Velasquez will be represented by California attorney Renee Hessling, who previously worked alongside Mark Geragos during pre-trial proceedings. Velasquez’s next hearing will be on March 8, when a trial date is expected to be set.

Velasquez is facing attempted murder and other charges after allegedy chasing and shooting at Harry Goularte, who has been accused of molesting Velasquez’s young son. During a high-speed chase, Velasquez fired at the vehicle containing Goularte and allegedly hit and injured his stepfather, Paul Bender.

Velasquez was released on released on $1 million bail in November after spending eight months in a holding facility. He remains under GPS surveillance and cannot leave his home without the court’s permission. Goularte, who is also out on bail, faces a felony charge of lewd acts with a child and will appear in court on Jan. 17 for a pre-trial hearing. Both Velasquez and Goularte have pleaded not guilty to their respective charges.

Since being granted bail, Velasquez has traveled to Arizona to compete in a professional wrestling match and to Fort Bragg, N.C., for a charity event also attended by Ryan Bader and Dan Henderson. During the most recent hearing, there was reportedly a tracking application error regarding the latter trip, which Hessling called an “honest mistake.” Velasquez was not penalized for the issue.