Former champ Rashad Evans removed from UFC 206 over medical concerns

Former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans won’t be on the UFC 206 card after all.

Less than two weeks after his scheduled fight against Tim Kennedy was scrapped from UFC 205 and rescheduled as a result of an adverse finding on his medical report by the New York State Athletic Commission, the commission in Ontario has made a similar decision.

“UFC has been notified by the Ontario Athletic Commission that it has declined to approve a license for Rashad Evans, based on the recent medical issue that prohibited him from competing at UFC 205 in New York City,” a statement from the UFC read. “As a result, Evans’ rescheduled bout against Tim Kennedy, set for UFC 206 in Toronto on Saturday, December 10, has subsequently been cancelled.

“The UFC organization takes the health and safety of all athletes competing under the UFC banner very seriously and has encouraged Evans to take all the appropriate time to consult with his physicians and properly evaluate his medical status prior to scheduling any future bouts.”

Details on exactly what prompted both commissions to take the action of prohibiting Evans to fight were not released as medical issues are considered private.

The Office of the Athletics Commissioner in Ontario issued a statement simply saying Evans did not clear medical licensing requirements which are in place to protect the safety of the fighters.

Evans was on a plane to New York for his scheduled middleweight fight against Kennedy when he learned of that state’s decision just days before UFC 205 earlier this month.

He believed the commission in Canada would reverse course and still insists he is healthy and should be allowed to compete.

“Despite the latest news on not getting a license to fight in Toronto I am 100% healthy. I will not retire. Thank (you) for the support,” Evans posted Monday on Twitter. “The UFC (has) been very helpful with making sure I am ok and getting this cleared up. I apologize to Tim Kennedy for the inconvenience.”

The organization will seek a new opponent for Kennedy, who responded to Evans’ apology on Twitter.

“You are a champion,” Kennedy wrote. “I appreciate the opportunity. Forever a fan.”

Evans, 37, won the light heavyweight title in 2008 and lost it the next year. He unsuccessfully challenged Jon Jones for the title in 2012.

After dropping four of his last six fights, including a first-round knockout loss to Glover Teixeira in April, Evans announced he would drop down to middleweight.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.