Dana White has backed up his words and benched Conor McGregor for UFC 200.
We suspected that was the case when the UFC president declared, last Friday, that McGregor would not be taking part in the July 9 event.
McGregor had refused to leave a training camp in Iceland to journey to America for a week-long publicity tour. In return, the UFC removed the Dubliner's rematch with Nate Diaz from the biggest card of 2016.
McGregor had gambled on forcing the UFC's hand by announcing his retirement only to go back on that claim and insist he was ready to fight.
https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/724971406941917184
There had been talk of Georges St-Pierre returning for UFC 200 but the Canadian is not expected to feature again until the UFC 205 event at Madison Square Garden, in November, if he is to come back at all.
https://twitter.com/GMA/status/725294730687352832
Instead, the promotion has made Jon Jones' highly-anticipated light heavyweight title unification bout with reigning champion Daniel Cormier as the new main event.
The announcement was made on Good Morning America, today, with both Jones and Cormier in attendance.
https://twitter.com/SandhuMMA/status/725290551923380224
The bout was originally slated for UFC 197 but Cormier had to pull out due to a shin injury. Jones won the UFC 197 headliner, against Ovince Saint Preux, and sent out another ominous warning to Cormier.
https://twitter.com/SandhuMMA/status/725290551923380224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Jones beat Cormier in their original bout, in January 2015, but was forced to relinquish his belt last April after pleading guilty to a hit-and-run incident that left a pregnant woman with a broken arm.
