White: Ex-champ Cain Velasquez headed for back surgery, 4-week recovery expected

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will reportedly undergo surgery following his most recent injury and fight withdrawal. According to UFC President Dana White, Velasquez is expected to make a complete recovery within four weeks of going under the knife.

Velasquez (13-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) was injured in the lead-up to his title rematch with champ Fabricio Werdum (20-5-1 MMA, 8-2 UFC), which was expected to headline UFC 196 on Feb. 6 (the event has since been renamed UFC Fight Night 82). He was forced out of the fight less than two weeks prior to the title bout, an occurrence that has unfortunately become a routine part of Velasquez’s career.

The former two-time champ has required surgery for shoulder and knee injuries over the past few years. He can apparently add a back surgery to that list, as White revealed on “Opie with Jim Norton.”

“Cain has got problems with a disc in his back, and he’s actually going to have surgery,” White said. “The good part is it’s not going to be long. He’s going to have the surgery and will probably need four weeks to recover. So that’s good news.”

Velasquez lost the title to Werdum by third-round submission at UFC 188 this past June. He was granted an immediate rematch after the upset loss and was eager to return and become just the second three-time titleholder in UFC history.

Although Velasquez said he attempted to battle through the injury and compete anyway, the pain eventually became too much, and he withdrew from the fight. That opened the door for Werdum to pull out of the fight as well (Stipe Miocic had stepped in as a replacement), citing multiple injuries of his own.

With the potential timeframe for Velasquez’s recovery shorter than many likely anticipated, it’s unknown if UFC officials plan to reschedule the fight with Werdum or if Velasquez will be forced to face another opponent.

For more on UFC Fight Night 82, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.