Ultimate Fighting Championship

Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum pulled from UFC 207 card

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:25 p.m. ET

Fansided, Adam Stocker/Fansided

Rematch between Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum pulled from UFC 207 by Nevada State Athletic Commission

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has removed former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez from the UFC 207 card due to medical reasons, according to Brett Okamoto of ESPN.

Velasquez was scheduled to fight Fabricio Werdum at UFC 206, in a rematch of their June 2015 fight. The duo first fought each other at UFC 188 in Mexico City. In their first fight Werdum submitted Velasquez with a guillotine choke in the third round to captured the heavyweight championship.

This is the second potential rematch between Velasquez and Werdum that has been postponed due to injuries. A rematch between the two was first scheduled to headline UFC Fight Night 82 in February 2016. But both fighters pulled out of that fight with injuries.

Injuries have become a growing concern for the 34-year old Velasquez over the past three years. Velasquez has only been able to fight twice time since his UFC 166 victory over Junior dos Santos in October 2013. Following the loss to Werdum, Velasquez returned to the octagon at UFC 200. Velasquez scored a knockout victory over Travis Browne in the first round.

With Velasquez out just a week before the fight, it is very unlikely that a last-minute opponent will be found for Werdum. Adding to the disappoint, a victory for Werdum likely would have secured a rematch with UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. Miocic defeated Werdum for the title at UFC 198 in May.

The UFC 207 card is headlined by a returned Ronda Rousey as she attempted to regain the women’s bantamweight title from Amanda Nunes. While Dominick Cruz defends his bantamweight championship against Cody Garbrandt.