Jon Jones may not defend his UFC light heavyweight title against Anthony Johnson this May as originally scheduled.
Unnamed sources confirmed the news Sunday evening to MMAWeekly.com.
(UPDATE: Though the MMA Weekly report initially stated that Jones was out of the bout entirely, sources are now noting that the bout is at risk, but not definitely canceled at this point.)
Jones was scheduled to defend the title May 23 at UFC 187 in Las Vegas.
MMA insider Front Row Brian was among the first to relay the information on Sunday:
News will break very soon… Jon Jones OUT of UFC 187.
— FrontRowBrian® (@FrontRowBrian) April 26, 2015
MMAWeekly.com indicated that Jones may have been involved in a car accident. The Albuquerque Police Department took to Twitter Sunday evening to state that they were presently unable to confirm Jones’ involvement in a “traffic accident,” specifically referring to a hit-and-run collision:
We CANNOT confirm that Jon Jones was involved in a H&R traffic accident from this morning. The investigation is ongoing.
— Albuquerque Police (@ABQPOLICE) April 26, 2015
The 27-year-old Jones (21-1) is generally considered the best active MMA fighter in the world. His bout with Johnson would have been his ninth consecutive light heavyweight title defense.
Jones last fought in January, when he outwrestled an Olympic wrestler in Daniel Cormier at UFC 182.
Controversy and curiosity have followed Jones for much of his pro career. After defeating Cormier, news broke that Jones had tested positive for a metabolite of cocaine in a drug test leading up to the fight. He subsequently entered rehab, but stayed for only one day.
In 2012, Jones was arrested in his home state of New York and charged with driving under the influence. He received a $1,000 find and a suspended license, among other punishments.
Also in 2012, officials canceled UFC 151 after challenger Dan Henderson announced late that an injury would prevent him from fighting. UFC officials offered Chael Sonnen as a replacement for Jones, but Jones and his team refused, citing a lack of adequate preparation time.
Last year, Jones and his handlers claimed the fighter’s Instagram account had been hacked following scrutiny over anti-gay remarks posted to his official account.
Despite such missteps, Jones remains a popular fighter with undeniable talent. He has regularly beaten the best fighters in the world, from Lyoto Machida to Cormier to Alexander Gustafsson.
On paper, Johnson would be one of Jones’ toughest challengers to date. “Rumble” (19-4) is among the most fearsome strikers in the sport with 13 of his 19 pro wins coming by knockout, most recently a first-round TKO of Gustafsson in Sweden this January.
There has been no word from the UFC about what, if anything, woud replace Jones-Johnson as the UFC 187 main event. The card’s co-main event is a middleweight title bout between Chris Weidman and challenger Vitor Belfort. It is conceivable that the co-main event could be bumped up to main event status.
Plenty of observers took to Twitter after the rumor began circulating to offer their own ideas on a potential replacement:
If the Jon Jones story is true, pull Daniel Cormier from the New Orleans card and pit him against Anthony Johnson. Interim title.
— RJ Clifford (@RJcliffordMMA) April 26, 2015
This continues a string of major misfortune for UFC events and fans in 2015. According to Michael Carroll, a research analyst for MMA data site FightMetric, there have been many main and co-main event changes so far this year:
In the first 13 UFC events of 2015, the main and co-main events have both held up in only 4 of them. The matchmakers deserve a gift basket.
— Michael Carroll (@MJCflipdascript) April 26, 2015
Sunday did not mark the first time rumors have circulated about Jones’ availability for UFC 187. In March, retired UFC middleweight and light heavyweight and current ESPN MMA analyst Chael Sonnen said during a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session that Jones vs. Johnson “won’t happen.”
“Won’t happen,” Sonnen wrote. “Mark my words.”
Scott Harris covers MMA for Bleacher Report. For more stuff like this, follow Scott on Twitter.
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