The UFC is getting the hang of this short notice replacement kind of thing.
Less than 24 hours after Daniel Cormier was forced out of the UFC 197 main event with an injury, an interim light heavyweight title fight has been thrown together with a replacement for the champion.
BREAKING: @003_OSP steps up to face former LHW champ @JonnyBones at #UFC197! pic.twitter.com/OCSscceApr
— UFC (@ufc) April 2, 2016
Early on Saturday, Jon Jones made it clear that he wanted to take on a new opponent rather than wait for Cormier down the line.
And after that was made clear, the UFC decided that No. 7 ranked light heavyweight Ovince Saint Preux would step in for Cormier with interim gold on the line.
Jones vs. Saint Preux is the new main event of UFC 197 which takes place on April 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“Jon has never lost his title in the Octagon. He was stripped of his title because of problems outside. It was the right thing to do.. he will fight for the light heavyweight interim title,” White announced on SportsCenter on Saturday night.
Jones hasn’t fought since defending his 205 lb belt against Daniel Cormier last January but ‘Bones’ was stripped of his title due to his involvement in a hit-and-run incident three months later.
Ovince Saint Preux, meanwhile, holds a 7-2 UFC record with his pair of defeats coming against Ryan Bader and Glover Teixeira.
OSP holds notable victories over ranked fighters Gian Villante, Nikita Krylov and Pat Cummins, as well as a win over former champion ‘Shogun’ Rua in 2014.
He meets Jones, who never lost his 205 lb belt, later this month with a unification bout with Cormier expected for later this year.
