Alexander Gustafsson Wants The Fight With Jon Jones As The Number One Contender

Alexander Gustafsson Wants The Fight With Jon Jones As The Number One Contender by Kevin Thang

In some unfortunate news for UFC fans, one of the most anticipated fights of 2014 has been postponed to January 3, 2015, as UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones suffered an ankle injury in training. As a result, his bout with Daniel Cormier has been taken off the UFC 178 card and moved to UFC 182 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

Taking it’s place will be the UFC flyweight title fight between champion Demetrious Johnson and challenger Chris Cariaso, which was originally scheduled for the co-main event of UFC 177.

The UFC 182 card is also rumoured to play host to the rematch between welterweight champion Johny Hendricks and contender Robbie Lawler, though it is yet to be confirmed whether this will remain the case.

Daniel Cormier stepped in for the injured Alexander Gustafsson for the bout, with the undefeated Strikeforce tournament winner having a strong hatred for the champion. Cormier and Jones have had a number of heated exchanges in the past, which led to a huge brawl at a media call for the UFC 178 card.

However, the anticipation for the bout will have to go on a while longer, as an ankle injury in training has forced the postponement of the fight, the third postponed title fight of 2014 after Aldo-Mendes and Weidman-Belfort.

Cormier responded to the news with the following quote (courtesy of MMAFighting),

“I could have fought through it, I just wish he would have done the same.”

To take some good news out of the bad situation, this allows Cormier to get healthy, after recent knee troubles and the fact the contender had been putting off surgery. He stated,

“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.”

This news could mean that a fight between Alexander Gustafsson, originally slated to fight for the belt, and Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson makes more sense – with the winner of that fight facing the winner of Jones-Cormier. Putting both fighters on the shelf for a lengthy period of time is hardly ideal, and a bout between the two would make a lot of sense.

UFC 178 has a plethora of top fights, with the likes of Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Dominick Cruz and Cat Zingano all set to compete. The card will be held at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV on September 27, headlined by the UFC flyweight title fight between Demetrious Johnson and Chris Cariaso.

UPDATE: The extent of Jones’s injury is a torn meniscus and sprained ankle, per Jeremy Botter – UFC 182 was seen as the most realistic card, as 179, 180 and 181 are all booked.

According to Ariel Helwani, the UFC are offering refunds to those who have bought tickets for UFC 178, with the deadline of August 22.