https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgvbLzVJS5I
According to a report by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, the scheduled heavyweight fight between former champs Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum is off UFC 207 after Velasquez was unable to get medical clearance to compete.
Rumors originally popped up earlier in the week that Velasquez was injured, and he had previously discussed having surgery scheduled for after the bout. It appears those issues snowballed, and the NSAC refused to license the fighter. In a statement, the commission stated that
Based on medical records, interviews and the best judgment of Chairman Anthony Marnell, attorney general J. Brin Gibson, the executive director’s office and our physicians, in an effort to protect the health and safety of the athletes, it’s been determined Cain Velasquez is unfit to fight.
It’s a huge blow for both Velasquez, who was determined to step back in the cage for the second time this year, and Werdum, who is vying for a rematch with current champion Stipe Miocic, who dethroned him this past May. Velasquez, however, has struggled to find any sort of consistency in his career, and has lost months if not years of time due to injury. The former champ has fought just twice since 2013.
The UFC has opted not to replace Velasquez, and have pulled the fight from the card. UFC 207 now features just 10 fights, after another bout between Jessica Andrade and Maryna Moroz was also pulled when Moroz was injured and a suitable replacement could not be found.
