Cain Velasquez Granted Permission to Corner Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 300

Cain Velasquez will be in the corner of American Kickboxing Academy teammate Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 300 on Saturday.

Velasquez, who is expected to go on trial for attempted murder in January, received permission to work the event through a court order, which was initially confirmed by California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster to MMAFighting.com on Monday. While Velasquez has traveled for sponsorship duties and to appear on a professional wrestling card, this will be his first time cornering a fight since his arrest in February 2022.

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 has pleaded not guilty to the charges. If found guilty, he faces 20 years to life in prison.

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, which he was granted to attend Bellator 300. Last week, Velasquez’s trial-setting date was extended to Dec. 6 with the understanding that the trial date would be set for sometime in mid-to-late January at the next hearing.

Velasquez, a former UFC heavyweight champion, retired from MMA in 2019 with a 14-3 career mark. He was part of AKA’s rise to prominence along with the likes of Daniel Cormier, Luke Rockhold, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Josh Thomson, among others.

Bellator 300 takes place on Saturday at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California. Nurmagomedov will defend his lightweight belt against Brent Primus in a lightweight grandprix semifinal in the evening’s featured bout. The main card airs on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.