Too ill to train, Lesnar withdraws

Unfortunately for the organization, the former professional wrestler has been knocked out by an illness.

Lesnar has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled heavyweight title defense against Shane Carwin in the main event of UFC 106 because he has been unable to train for nearly a month.

The bout had been scheduled for Nov. 21 at Mandalay Bay.

In a posting on Twitter, Carwin hinted at a new date, as well as what might be wrong with Lesnar.

“I just heard from Jason (Genet, his manager),” the post read. “Looks like it is posponed till Jan 2. I had h1ni myself and I understand how devastaing it can be.”

That would mean the fight would headline UFC 108 at the MGM Grand, though that has not yet been confirmed by the UFC.

The H1N1 claim is also unconfirmed. Lesnar’s manager did not return a request for comment late Monday.

A previously announced co-main event for the card will be moved into the main event slot. Tito Ortiz makes his return to the UFC for a rematch against Forrest Griffin in a meeting of former champions.

Ortiz won the first bout between the two in 2006, but it was a controversial decision. He last fought in 2008 before testing the free agent market.

While he was away from the UFC, the 34-year old had back surgery. He was never able to come to terms with another organization and announced a new deal with the UFC in July.

Griffin suffered a first-round knockout at the hands of Anderson Silva in August.

* JOHNSON’S WEIGHT COSTLY — Anthony Johnson knew he would forfeit 20 percent of his purse on Saturday night due to his failure to make weight by six pounds.

That mistake was compounded when the welterweight knocked out Yoshiyuki Yoshida in just 41 seconds.

White said Johnson would have been awarded the organization’s $60,000 knockout of the night bonus, but was ineligible due to his weigh-in blunder.

Johnson said after the fight that a knee injury was partly responsible for him ballooning up to 220 pounds, 50 pounds above the welterweight limit, but that he has no plans to move up to middleweight.

“My weight is fine,” he said. “(The injury) really held me back a bit from doing what I needed to do and I got out of shape. But that’s nobody’s fault but my own.”

* HORODECKI SIGNS — Former International Fight League star Chris Horodecki has signed with World Extreme Cagefighting and is expected to make his debut at WEC 45 at the Palms on Dec. 19.

The 22-year old part-time Las Vegan has built up a 13-1 record, but has fought just once since the IFL folded in early 2008.

The lightweight is rumored to be taking on Anthony Njokuani, but WEC officials said that no contracts have been signed.

Horodecki was scheduled to fight on the Aug. 1 Affliction: Trilogy card that was canceled.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.