Jon “Bones” Jones still will headline UFC 197 later this month, but he’ll be taking on a new opponent with a different belt at stake.
Ovince Saint Preux will be Jones’ new opponent at the April 23 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena, battling the former light heavyweight champion for the interim title belt. UFC president Dana White announced the news Saturday on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
Daniel Cormier, who currently owns the light heavyweight title belt, pulled out of his UFC 197 bout with Jones on Friday night citing a leg injury that will sideline him at least a month.
Jones-Cormier was a highly anticipated matchup, with Jones returning to the Octagon for the first time since he defeated Cormier back in January 2015 to defend his title. Instead, “Bones” will be charged with stopping Saint Preux, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound former college football player at Tennessee who owns a 19-7 overall record and 7-2 record in UFC action.
Hey @003_OSP just wanted to thank you for stepping up and taking this fight last minute. Grateful for the opportunity to compete with you
— BONY (@JonnyBones) April 2, 2016
Jones’ own participation in UFC 197 appeared to be in jeopardy earlier this week, when the 28-year-old was arrested for drag racing after violating his parole. But White confirmed Jones still will fight April 23, albeit not for the outright light heavyweight title that would have been on the line vs. Cormier.
“Thing is, Jon has never lost his title in the Octagon,” White said, via ESPN.com. “He was stripped of his title because of problems outside. We think it’s the right thing to do. It’s not his fault that Cormier is injured, so he will fight for the interim light heavyweight title. When Cormier comes back, they’ll decide who the real champ is.”
Thumbnail photo via Joshua Dahl/USA TODAY Sports Images
