Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2014 | 3:58 p.m.
The unbridled hostility between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier that erupted into public spectacle at a UFC 178 press conference was all for nothing.
Their light heavyweight title fight is off. The UFC announced Tuesday afternoon that Jones, the champion, sustained a leg injury while training for the much-anticipated Sept. 27 showdown.
UFC 178 will go on as scheduled at the MGM Grand Garden Arena but with a flyweight championship bout between Demetrious Johnson and Chris Cariaso, originally slated as the co-main event of UFC 177, headlining the event. Jones vs. Cormier is pushed back to UFC 182, scheduled for Jan. 3 at the MGM.
It’s a major blow for the UFC, which has now seen seven of its nine champions suffer injuries in 2014 to drastically alter the mixed martial arts organization’s plans. Jones vs. Cormier was projected as its biggest event of the year, a card that could have possibly sold more than 1 million pay-per-views.
Now the momentum must carry over for an additional four months. The UFC is offering refunds for anyone who has already purchased tickets, but they must be claimed by Aug. 22.
Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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