Velasquez to undergo back surgery 5 days after UFC 207 bout
Cain Velasquez is testing his body's limits yet again.
The former heavyweight champ will aim to avenge his June 2015 loss to Fabricio Werdum at UFC 207 next Saturday, and is scheduled to undergo back surgery just five days later on Jan. 4. Velasquez - who's all too familiar with the injury ward - has been relying on marijuana compound cannabidiol to make it to fight night in one piece, ESPN's Brett Okamoto reports.
According to Okamoto, bone spurs have been pressuring Velasquez's sciatic nerve, causing pain in his right leg, but the substance has allowed the oft-injured former champ to train as he would if healthy. He should remain clear of USADA's ire, as the UFC's anti-doping partner only prohibits in-competition marijuana use, a window beginning six hours before weigh-ins and ending six hours after a fight. The Arizona product will abstain from cannabidiol at least one week before fight night to comply with the policy.
Velasquez was sidelined for nearly 19 months before Werdum usurped him by third-round submission at UFC 188, and another 13 months after. The 34-year-old returned with a vengeance, though, starching Travis Browne in less than a round at UFC 200 before announcing his plan to go under the knife three weeks ago. January's surgery will mark the eighth of his 10-year career.
He'll look to even the score with Werdum on Dec. 30 at the T-Mobile Arena.