Another one bites the dust.
For the second time this year, UFC Light Heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has withdrawn from a fight with an injury.
Cormier will miss a planned title defence against Anthony Johnson at UFC 206 in Toronto on December 10.
Cormier missed out on UFC 197, which was then downgraded to a Fight Night event, earlier this year. He was then set to face Jon Jones in a bout rescheduled for July’s UFC 200 before Jones, the interim champion, was popped on a doping offence.
Cormier ended up fighting Anderson Silva at UFC 200 and getting a comfortable decision win.
His UFC 206 withdrawal was first reported by MMA Fighting, who claim the UFC want to keep Johnson on the main card while seeking out another headline event.
News of Cormier’s latest withdrawal did not go down well in Internetville:
https://twitter.com/LostAus/status/802207764680417282
How is Cormier gonna pull out of 206 injured 😩 #UFC206
— Ben Thomson (@BjT_bennyt) November 25, 2016
Cormier vs Rumble Johnson off #UFC206, gutted 😭
— Seán McGill (@seanmcgill8) November 25, 2016
Daniel Cormier is a pull-out merchant. Rumble vs Bader for the interim belt. @danawhite
— Avant⚡️⚽ (@Avant77) November 25, 2016
The promotion had long held out for Georges St-Pierre to headline the PPV card but neither they or the fighter could agree on terms or an opponent.
Top 10 middleweight Tim Kennedy is also on the look-out for an opponent after Rashad Evans, his slated match, was refused a licence to fight.
Dick Clerkin makes his GAA Hour debut to talk about a wonderful career and argue passionately with Colm Parkinson over Sky Sports GAA. Subscribe here on iTunes.