Cain Velasquez Removed from UFC 207, Fight Card Proceeds with 10 Fights

UFC 207 has lost its heavyweight showcase, but the show continues on with 10 fights.

Cain Velasquez didn’t get the Christmas present he wanted. The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) pulled Velasquez from UFC 207, as first reported by ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto.

Executive director Bob Bennett declared the former UFC heavyweight champion "unfit to fight" in a statement released on Saturday.

Velasquez has a surgery scheduled for the new year on his back. He mentioned the note during the conference call for the new Mixed Martial Arts Athlete Association three weeks ago (h/t Tristen Critchfield of Sherdog). The former champion, in a prior interview with ESPN.com’s Okamoto, admitted to managing the pain with cannabidiol (CBD). Pain severe enough that if standing for 10 minutes or more he would be forced to sit down.

Bennett, in the statement, said the determination to remove Velasquez was reached after reviewing medical records, interviews, and the best judgement of the NAC.

Velasquez was slated to face a familiar foe in Fabricio Werdum. No replacement will be contacted and the fight is off. There is no word on if the fight will be re-booked or if Werdum will be rescheduled for a different event in 2017.

The UFC has yet to release which fight will move up to the main card to fill the void left by the heavyweight tilt.

UFC 207 takes place on Friday December 30.