Cain Velasquez out of UFC 207 bout with Fabrico Werdum

In a story that feels all too familiar to the career narrative of Cain Velasquez, the former heavyweight champion has been forced out of a fight due to physical issues.

The news was first reported by ESPN.com. The NSAC was unavailable for comment.

According to the ESPN story, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) failed to approve Velasquez (14-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC) to fight, determining after physical examinations and interviews he was unfit to compete. Velasquez, ranked No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings was set to fight Fabricio Werdum (21-6-1 MMA, 9-3 UFC), the man who took the title off of him at UFC 188.

The decision to cancel the bout may have been related to a previous interview Velasquez gave to ESPN.com in which he detailed intense back pain throughout his training camp. In a mildly controversial moment in the interview, he admitted to using Cannabidiol do deal with the pain.

UFC 207 takes place Dec. 30 at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Velasquez has only fought twice since 2014 and has been plagued by injuries since emerging as one of the world’s top heavyweights.

For more on UFC 207, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.