UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier says pulling out of his UFC 197 headliner with Jon Jones was one of the hardest decisions he’s had to make, in a statement he released on Saturday.
UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier pulled out of his upcoming title rematch against Jon Jones at UFC 197 later this month with an injury on Friday evening. On Saturday, it was announced by UFC President Dana White that Ovince Saint Preux will fill in for DC and take on the former champ for the interim belt.
Cormier released a statement on his Facebook page following the news:
“The decision to not fight on April 23rd was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make. I’ve been scheduled to fight 18 times and I have made that walk every time. I want to apologize to Jon Jones, Lorenzo Fertitta, Dana White and all of the UFC fans for not being able to defend my title. This truly saddens me, but as with everything else in life, it goes on. The recovery should not take very long and I can’t wait to compete and defend my title again. For all the fans, thanks for your support, I appreciate each and every one of you. DC”
According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Cormier will be sidelined for four to six weeks. He will fight the winner of Jones vs. Saint Preux later this year to unify the pair of 205-pound belts.
UFC 197 takes place live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 23. Demetrious Johnson defends his flyweight title against Henry Cejudo in the evening’s co-main event.