After 15 months on the sidelines due to his legal troubles, former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones finally returns to action on Saturday night at UFC 197.
In his absence, Daniel Cormier won the vacated 205-pound title against Anthony Johnson and defended it against Alexander Gustafsson. Despite Jones’ competitive but clear victory over Cormier last January, the former Olympian now holds the belt that Jones defended eight times. UFC 197 was to be Jones’ chance to reclaim what he never actually lost.
An injury to Cormier shelved that plan, and into the breach steps Ovince Saint Preux. The Strikeforce veteran and nine-time UFC contestant has hung around the division’s top 10 for a while now, and this is his chance to break through in a big way against the dominant champion.
The rest of the pay-per-view portion of the card is exceptional. In the co-main event, longtime flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson takes on Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo in an intriguing title fight. Cejudo is the last real challenger to Johnson’s throne; the champion has defended his title seven times, and there is little left for him to do at 125 pounds if he can dispose of Cejudo.
Former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis meets explosive striker Edson Barboza in the main card’s third fight. This is a dream matchup of two of the division’s best strikers, and a shot for Pettis to get back on track following losses to Rafael Dos Anjos and Eddie Alvarez.
The spotlight shines on talented prospects in the first two bouts on the main card. The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America winner Yair Rodriguez takes on Andre Fili in the opener, while Australia’s talented Robert Whittaker gets a soft step up against the tough and skilled Rafael Natal.
The undercard is less promising. Inaugural strawweight champion Carla Esparza makes her return against Juliana Lima, while Pettis’ younger brother Sergio headlines the Fox Sports 1 broadcast against Chris Kelades.
An excellent lightweight fight between The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 winner Glaico Franca and James Vick opens the Fox Sports 1 portion of the card, while a light heavyweight banger featuring Clint Hester and Marcos Rogerio de Lima will grace the Fight Pass prelims.
Let’s take a look at each individual fight.