Daniel Cormier is out of his highly anticipated UFC light heavyweight title rematch with Jon Jones due to an injury, and replacing him is Ovince Saint Preux. The new UFC 197 main event will be for the interim light heavyweight title.
UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has been forced out of his highly anticipated title rematch with former champ Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 197 later this month with an injury. BJPenn.com‘s initial report was followed up by MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani, who published a report of his own.
Cormier and Jones fought for the first time last year at UFC 182, and Jones successfully defended his title via unanimous decision. Bones was stripped of his title after being involved in a hit-and-run incident last April, and DC went on to defeat Anthony Johnson for the vacant belt.
Cormier is coming off a title defense win over Alexander Gustafsson this past October.
Jones has yet to return to action since the Cormier victory in January 2015. He was arrested (again) very recently for violating his probation. In court, yesterday, a judge allowed him to compete on this month’s card, but forbade him from driving unless he’s permitted to do so by his probation officer. However, that won’t matter with DC out of the fight.
UFC officials have not confirmed the news. It is unknown at this time whether or not Cormier will be replaced or if Demetrious Johnson vs. Henry Cejudo, currently slated as the co-main event, will be elevated to main event status.
UFC 197 takes place live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 23.