Rashad Evans Pulled From Kennedy Fight Again

Rashad Evans may be facing an uphill battle if he wants to fight in the UFC again.

Evans was pulled from his UFC 205 bout with Tim Kennedy after the New York State Commission refused to license him after finding an issue in his MRI. The fight was rebooked for UFC 206 in Toronto, but Evans has again been denied a license.

Kennedy first broke the news in an appearance on The MMA Hour. Later in the show, Evans’ manager Ali Abdel-Aziz confirmed that the fight was indeed off. According to Abdel-Aziz, the Ontario commission is notoriously strict and refused to grant Evans a license because the New York commission had done so.

"He’s fine, guys," Abdel-Aziz said. "Rashad is fine. There’s nothing wrong with him."

Despite Abdel-Aziz’s claims, Evans’ failing of a medical remains troubling for a fighter of his age. According to Kennedy, an abnormality in Evans’ brain was the cause of his failed medical with the New York commission. Evans, 37, was knocked out in his last fight against Glover Teixeira in April.

If Evans is to continue to seek out a UFC bout, he will have to do so while disclosing that two athletic commissions have denied him a license to compete.

Kennedy said that he plans to remain on UFC 206 and the promotion is seeking a replacement for him.