The UFC has announcedthat Heath Herring is pulling out of his UFC 99 bout against Cain Velasquez due to injury. The undefeated Velasquez is one of the rising stars of the Heavyweight division and was finally getting the opportunity to prove himself against upper echelon talent and a veteran in Heath Herring.
While it's always a disappointment when one fighter pulls out due to injury and it usually leads to a less appealing match-up with a last minute replacement, the UFC and Velasquez won'tmiss a beat on this one. Cheick Kongo, another rising star in the Heavyweight division, will step in to take Herring's place.
Kongo, who is riding a three fight winning streak, is a legitimate contender in his own right. He did lose a very close split decision to Heath Herring, but he has since greatly improved his wrestling and we know his striking is top notch. He's a beast of a man and should present an interesting match-up for Velasquez. However, the question remains just how much he's improved his wrestling. Herring exposed his lack of wrestling ability,but Velasquez could downright humiliate him in that department.
The good news for the fans? This is a great fight, and we'll get to see if Velasquez is ready to take that next step up the ladder towards the elite in the Heavyweight division. Is Velasquez the real deal like everyone says? We'll get to find out on June 13th!
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