Jon Jones injured, fight with Daniel Cormier delayed until 2015 (UPDATE)
What a difference a week makes.
Just seven days ago the buzz surrounding the entire MMA world was the growing and heated rivalry between UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and his next challenger Daniel Cormier after they got into a brawl during a UFC media event in Las Vegas.
Following a media tour full of interviews and trash talk, Jones headed back into training camp and immediately suffered a leg injury that will force him out of his fight against Cormier, postponing one of the most anticipated fights of 2014.
Jones and Cormier still will do battle, but now the fighters will face off on Jan. 3 at an event tentatively scheduled to be UFC 182.
With Jones out of action, UFC 178 will also undergo a massive facelift with flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson pulled from his bout at UFC 177 in Sacramento. He will instead face Chris Cariaso on Sept. 27.
Johnson was already scheduled to meet Cariaso in August, but now the two 125-pounders will meet in the new UFC 178 main event.
UPDATE: Sources speaking to FOX Sports indicated that it was an ankle and knee injury believed to be a torn meniscus that forced Jones out of the fight against Cormier on Sept 27.
The good news is he should be ready to get back in action on Jan. 3 as the new main event for UFC 182 while still facing Cormier with the title on the line.
UPDATE 2: Jones finally spoke out for the first time on Wednesday since the announcement was made that he had to be pulled from his scheduled bout against Cormier at UFC 178. The champion revealed that he will have surgery on the injured knee, but it won't put him out for any extended period of time.
"I'd like to apologize to all the fans who were excited for UFC 178," Jones wrote on his Facebook page. "Earlier this week, I suffered an injury while training for the fight. I'm having surgery tomorrow and I'm focused on recovering as quickly as possible. I look forward to getting back in the gym and defending my title on Jan. 3 in Las Vegas."
Cormier will also take a little down time to allow his injured knee to heal after he decided against surgery before taking the fight with Jones. The two are now scheduled to meet on Jan 3 at UFC 182.
