Why Is Alistair Overeem Indirectly Responsible For Jon Jones Missing UFC 178?

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More details are starting to reveal themselves with regard to the injuries light heavyweight champion Jon Jones recently suffered.

UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem who recently joined Greg Jackson’s camp in Albuquerque was apparently having a sparring session with fellow camp member Jones when the injury occurred. Jones was reportedly defending himself from a takedown attempt from Overeem when he tore his left meniscus and sprained his ankle.

“It’s part of the game, it wasn’t like … somebody went for a flying kick and dislocated [something],” Jackson told Sherdog.com. “Somebody went for a takedown, [Jones] stepped the wrong way, twisted the wrong way and down he went. He was fighting it, and he just twisted it. And then it just popped.”

Clearly Overeem was picked as to spar with Jones because of his resemblance to Daniel Cormier’s fighting style.

While Overeem weighed in at 257lbs back in January before facing Frank Mir at UFC 169, Jackson says a weight disparity wasn’t the issue.

“Alistair’s maybe 240, Jon’s 220,” said Jackson. “It’s not like he was working with a giant moose. It was just one of those things.”

Jones will now face top contender Daniel Cormier Jan. 3 at UFC 182 in Las Vegas, Nevada.