Read Cain Velasquez’s statement on his most recent injury below.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez was scheduled to rematch Fabricio Werdum early next month in the main event of UFC 196. However, it was announced on Sunday that Velasquez suffered an injury and was forced out of the contest. Werdum now defends his belt against top contender Stipe Miocic.
Following the announcement, Velasquez released a statement on his Facebook page, which you can read below:
I’m sure you’ve heard the news that I won’t be able to fight at UFC 196. I can’t begin to tell you how disappointed I am…
Posted by Cain Velasquez on Sunday, January 24, 2016
Velasquez’s career has been plagued with injuries. He has been forced out of multiple bouts with injuries, including in late 2014 when he was initially supposed to defend his title against Werdum. The two finally met last year at UFC 188, and the Brazilian stopped Velasquez by submission.
Prior to his loss to Werdum, Velasquez hadn’t competed inside the Octagon since a October 2013 trilogy matchup with Junior dos Santos, which he dominantly won via TKO.
At this time, it’s unclear how severe Velasquez’s injury is and what his timetable for return is.
UFC 196, headlined by Werdum vs. Miocic, takes place live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Feb. 6.