The UFC 216 lineup took a serious blow just minutes before the event when news broke that Derrick Lewis was forced to withdraw from his matchup with Fabricio Werdum due to a lingering back injury.
Lewis (18-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) has made no secret about the ongoing issues with his back. After going through all of fight week, he decided just hours before his scheduled heavyweight matchup with Werdum (21-7-1 MMA, 9-4 UFC) that he wasn’t fit to compete.
Although UFC 216 still features two championship fights, the clash between Lewis and former UFC champ Werdum was one of the most anticipated on the card. The event now proceeds with 11 fights.
There was universal disappointment after the news broke. Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Lewis’ injury and withdrawal from UFC 216.
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For complete coverage of UFC 216, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
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