Heavyweight Derrick Lewis pulled out of Saturday's UFC 216 return bout in Las Vegas against former champion Fabricio Werdum just hours before the card at T-Mobile Arena. 

Lewis (18-5) had a previously injured back flare up on him and was forced to withdraw. MMAFighting.com was the first to report, stating that Lewis couldn't move Saturday morning due to two bulging discs and attempted to fight through the pain. 

"I can't move," Lewis told MMAFighting.com. "I'm feeling the same pain in my back that I felt before the Mark Hunt fight." 

Lewis, 32, saw his six-fight win streak snapped in February when he lost to Mark Hunt via fourth-round TKO. 

UFC broadcaster Jon Anik announced at the start of Saturday's broadcast that Walt Harris will replace Lewis against Werdum. The 34-year-old Harris (10-5) was originally scheduled to face Mark Godbeer on the preliminary undercard. 

Werdum (21-7-1) returns to the Octagon for the first time since a majority decision loss to Alistair Overeem in July. 

The 40-year-old Brazilian made headlines two weeks ago when he nearly brawled at a media luncheon in Las Vegas with lightweight Tony Ferguson, who faces Kevin Lee in Saturday's main event for the interim 155-pound championship. UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad made light of the incident following Saturday's news. 

Werdum later said he only didn't attack Ferguson, who quickly rose to get in his face, because of the damage it would have potentially done to the UFC in cancelling another main event. 

The cancellation of Lewis-Werdum marked the 14th fight in 2017 that was scrapped from a UFC card within 48 hours of the event taking place.