Cain Velasquez injured (again), Stipe Miocic steps up to face Fabricio Werdum on two weeks’ notice

American Kickboxing Academy has claimed another fight.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has been forced to withdraw from his upcoming rematch with reigning champ Fabricio Werdum at UFC 196, citing a back injury. https://twitter.com/danawhite/status/691400840557400069 Velasquez was beaten handily by the Brazilian at last year's UFC 188 which was the second time that he lost the heavyweight title in six fights. Velasquez has become one of the more inactive fighters on the UFC roster due to his proneness to injury and he now faces yet another spell on the sidelines as Werdum has been given a replacement fight. Top contender Stipe Miocic has accepted the chance to become the baddest man on the planet as he steps up on 13 days' notice to meet Werdum in the main event of February 6th's UFC 196. https://twitter.com/stipemiocicufc/status/691408161518002176 Miocic was given the opportunity after going 5-1 in the last three years, beating elite competitors such as Andrei Arlovski, Mark Hunt and Gabriel Gonzaga. Velasquez, meanwhile, took to Facebook to offer an apology to Werdum, promising that the pair would meet one another before long. "Training camp has been difficult for the last few weeks," Velasquez wrote. "But sometimes no matter how much the heart and mind want to fight through an injury, healing has its own timeline. We thought we'd get through it, but we had to face the truth that it wasn't going to be OK in time to fight. All of us fighters have all fought injured at one time or another, but I can't ignore this injury, as my doctor has indicated that not addressing the problems with my sciatic nerve could have longer-term consequences.