Well, that was quick.
After the Kings of Leon moved their show to accommodate UFC 178 and the company announced Gustafsson vs. Jones 2 yesterday, Dana White took to Twitter to announce that Alexander Gustafsson just injured himself during his training and has to be pulled from the match. Daniel Cormier will replace him and get a shot at the belt.
The unbeaten Cormier, a two-time Olympic wrestler and former heavyweight contender, has long had his sights set on Jones, and even cut weight to get a shot at the champion.
“Jon Jones, you can’t run away from me forever,” he said. “I’m the kid at the wrestling tournament that is always in your bracket. No matter where you go, I’m coming. You better hurry because I’m getting better.”
The 27-year-old Jones, champion since 2011, has made a record-setting seven successful title defenses at 205 pounds, with wins over former champions Quinton Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, and Vitor Belfort.
In his most recent fight, Jones took a decision Glover Teixeira at UFC 172 in April, and while the plan was for Jones to meet Gustafsson in a rematch of their classic 2013 bout, the champion expressed his desire to fight Cormier first, even before the contracts were signed.
