Cain Velasquez out of UFC 207 fight with Fabricio Werdum
Cain Velasquez is no longer competing at UFC 207 after being ruled medically ineligible to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
ESPN first reported the news on Saturday. UFC officials have not responded to FOX Sports for comment on the fight cancellation.
The commission will not allow Velasquez to compete after he revealed in an interview earlier this week that he was due to have back surgery just days after UFC 207 ended.
Velasquez admitted that he was dealing with the injury during training but had used Cannabidiol (CBD) oil to help control the pain. The pain was so severe that Velasquez said, "it gets to a point where if you're standing for 10 minutes, you have to sit down."
Ultimately, the commission felt based on Velasquez's statement along with his medical history that it was in his best interest not to compete at UFC 207 next weekend in his bout with Fabricio Werdum.
"It's been determined Cain Velasquez is unfit to fight," the Nevada Commission said in a statement initially released to ESPN.
"The financial incentive for fighters to compete is strongly compelling, and it is the responsibility and obligation of this commission to intervene when excessive risks are evident. It's obvious Mr. Velasquez is physically compromised, and competing would place him in significant physical risk."
This is the latest in a long line of setbacks for the former heavyweight champion, who has missed significant time throughout his career dealing with injuries. Velasquez hasn't fought more than twice a year since 2009 and has only fought twice over the past two years.
Now Velasquez has been ruled out of his upcoming bout with Werdum, which was a rematch from their 2015 fight where he lost the heavyweight title at UFC 188.
With Velasquez out, it's unlikely the UFC will be able to secure a replacement to face Werdum on short notice with the event less than a week away.
