Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez (pictured) is not 100 percent heading into his UFC 207 rematch with Fabricio Werdum. In fact, he’s already scheduled to have back surgery on January 4, just five days after his fight with Werdum.
Instead of pulling out of yet another matchup, Velasquez turned to cannabidiol (CBD) to relieve back pain that is now shooting down his right leg. The 34-year-old uses the spray – which is not a banned substance under the UFC’s anti-doping program during out-of-competition testing, but is during the in-competition window (six hours prior to weigh-ins through six hours after the fight) – because it’s a safer route than taking synthetic pain killers that are addictive.