The injury is back with a vengeance.

On Monday afternoon, UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum revealed a back injury has forced him out of his scheduled title fight against Stipe Miocic at UFC 196 next month. MMAFighting.com was the first to report the news.

This withdrawal comes just one day after his original opponent Cain Velasquez announced he had would be forced out after injuring his own back in training camp.

Werdum (20-5-1) was looking to defend his belt for the first time since being crowned champion with a second round submission over the former champion Velasquez at UFC 188 in June.

There is currently no word on whether Miocic will remain on the card or who will become the new headliner. The MMA Corner will continue to monitor the situation and update as it unfolds.

About The Author

News Manager

José began his career as a mixed martial arts journalist while still enrolled at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University. Since graduating in May 2013, he has attended dozens of high profile UFC fight cards as a credentialed member of the media, providing live cage side coverage through his articles and videos. His work has appeared on UFC.com, ArizonaSports.com and AZCentral. He is also currently one of the main contributors on Power MMA Show at Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, one of the first all MMA radio shows on a major radio station.