Rashad Evans Denied License to Compete at UFC 206; Bout vs. Tim Kennedy Canceled Again

The same medical issue that prevented Rashad Evans from competing at UFC 205 will also keep him from facing Tim Kennedy at UFC 206 next month.

The Las Vegas-based promotion recently released a statement announcing that the Ontario Athletic Commission has declined to approve Evans for a license to fight at UFC 206 in Toronto. As a result, his matchup with Kennedy has been removed from the card. Evans and Kennedy were initially slated to square off at the Las Vegas-based organization’s New York debut on Nov. 12, but the same medical issue led to the middleweight bout being scrapped then as well.

While the exact nature of the issue is unknown, Evans told MMAFighting.com that “irregular findings” in a pre-fight MRI cause the New York State Athletic Commission to deny him a license for UFC 205.

“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,” a statement from the promotion read.

It is currently unclear if Kennedy will remain on the card. Evans, meanwhile, wrote on Twitter that he is not considering retirement despite the recent setbacks.

Despite the latest news on not getting a license to fight in Toronto I am 100% healthy. I will not retire. Thank yuh for the support

— Rashad Evans (@SugaRashadEvans) November 21, 2016

The @ufc have been very helpful with making sure I am ok and getting this cleared up. I apologize to @TimKennedyMMA for the inconvenience.

— Rashad Evans (@SugaRashadEvans) November 21, 2016

UFC 206 takes place at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto and is headlined by a light heavyweight championship rematch between Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson. Evans last competed at UFC on Fox 19 on April 16, when he lost to Glover Teixeira via first-round knockout.