Jon Jones injures leg, Cormier fight moved to Jan. 3
Daniel Cormier on Jon Jones: “I took this fight with a pre-existing injury. I could have fought through it, I just wish he would have done the same.”
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and challenger Daniel Cormier got the fans all hot and bothered beyond anything is recent memory when the pair got into a shoving match during a press conference, and topped that with a theoretical death threat.
Now Jones has reportedly suffered a torn meniscus in his knee and a sprained ankle in training earlier this week, and cannot fight Cormier at UFC 178 on September 27. The fight has been rescheduled to UFC 182 on January 3.
“It’s very disappointing,” Cormier told Ariel Helwani for MMAFighting. “I started to train very hard. It’s a little discouraging, but now I have time to get completely healthy. I don’t know how hurt Jon is but we have to remember that I took this fight with a pre-existing injury. I could have fought through it, I just wish he would have done the same.”
UFC 178 was originally headlined by Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson, but “The Mauler” injured his knee and was replaced by Cormier.
Gustafsson called for Cormier to be moved aside, via Facebook.
“I just heard the news that Jones is injured and the fight is rescheduled to January 3????” wrote Gustafsson. “Until then, I will be more than ready, it was MY fight to begin with and I WANT the fight as the number 1 contender. End of story!!”
However, Cormier was assured by ZUFFA CEO Lorenzo Fertitta that there will be no substitutions.
When I heard Jon was hurt, now him and Gustafssson are on the same schedule in order to be healthy. So my first question was, ‘I don’t have to go behind Gustafsson again now, right?’” said Cormier. “And I was assured that it’s going to be me in January. He’s not going to take my place again.
UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson vs. Chris Cariaso which had been the UFC 177 co main, will now be the main event of UFC 178. It’s not the same.