ESPN’s Bret🙈t Okamoto is reporting th🔯at former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez hasn’t been granted a license by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) and he will not be taking on another former UFC Heavyweight Champion in Fabricio Werdum at UFC 207.
Okamoto would break the news via Twitter:
BREAKING: According to sources, Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricဣio Werdum at UFC 207 will not happen. NSAC ruled out Velasquez for medic🃏al reasons.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN)
Also, according to Okamoto, NAC Executive Director Bob Bennett was the one who made the final decision about 🉐Velasquez competing at the event. He ultimately suspended Velasquez’s license to compete in the state of Nevada for medical reasons.
NSAC executive director Bob Bennett has confirmed on record🔥 Cain's license has been suspended for medical reasons.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN)
As of a short time ago, Velasquez was still under the impression that he was comꦏpeting at the event, acc🌸ording to a trio of posts he made on his official Twitter.
Not sure what is going on...
— Cain Velasquez (@cainmma)
Velasquez, in the interviews leading up to the fight, has b♌een saying that he has been dealing with back pain, which would require surgery to fix. He had scheduled th🌳e surgery for early 2017. Velasquez had also mentioned the use of marijuana to dull the pain.
The ♔NAC issued the following statement on🃏 the matter to :
"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," the NSAC said in a statement. "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."
UFC 207 takes place on Friday, December 30 from t🐼he T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada with Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey headlining.
