Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez out of UFC 196 main event with injury (Updated)

UFC loses both UFC 196 main event fighters in the space of 24 hours.

Yesterday it was announced that Cain Velasquez was out of his title fight with Fabricio Werdum, with this announcement the UFC stated that Stipe Miocic would replace Velasquez. Tonight news has broke that Werdum has also pulled out of the fight due to injury

“I decided not to fight because I’m not 100 percent,” Werdum said. “If Cain was the opponent, I would go on. It’s not his fault, it’s nobody’s fault. Injuries happen. You can’t avoid them. I have no option. I made this decision because I’m not feeling 100-percent.”

Fans were excited to see Stipe step in as a replacement for Velasquez with many wanting to see someone else face Werdum originally.

Shortly after the story appeared on FOX SPORTS Hunter A. Homistek posted a response from Stipe’s camp on MMA Fighting 

“We’re extremely disappointed to hear that Werdum is pulling out of the fight,” Miocic’s manager, Greg Kalikas, told MMAFighting.com via text message. “If he’s [Werdum is] healthy enough to defend against Cain, we can’t understand why he’s not healthy enough to fight Stipe, who would only have 12 days to prepare for him as it stands.

“A champion shouldn’t pick and choose opponents. A true champion fights all comers. If he won’t fight Stipe with a short camp, are we supposed to believe he’d fight Stipe coming off a full training camp? No, he wouldn’t… and that’s a bad look for the supposed best heavyweight on the planet. All we can hope is that Werdum ‘heals’ up quick and will agree to fight Stipe sooner rather than later.”

One thing that is strange in Werdum’s quote and also probably extremely frustrating for Miocic’s camp is the fact he was willing to fight Velasquez with a full camp but not Miocic on two weeks notice.

“If Cain was the opponent, I would go on.“

With no official announcement and it being so close to the event fans and media are left wondering what the UFC will do.

Updates will be posted as more news on the story breaks.

UFC 196 now becomes UFC Fight Night 82 and the main event has now been changed to Johny Hendricks Vs. Stephen Thompson