After Jon "Bones" Jones, the consensus top fighter in mixed martial arts, defeated Alexander Gustafsson in a knock-down, drag-out battle for the light heavyweight title, a rematch was expected in the near future.
Instead, UFC scheduled Glover Teixeira as Jones' next opponent in February, reportedly at the light heavyweight champ's request. Now, that fight has been cancelled according to UFC president Dana White.
"I told you yesterday that Jones will fight on Feb. 22," White said during a post-UFC 167 press conference. "He won't fight Feb. 22. He just pulled out of the fight. He's not fighting Feb. 22. "It might be March now." When asked whether an injury had dashed the highly anticipated matchup White responded tersely, "He's not injured."
That story's changing, however. Now, White is quoted by MMAJunkie.com as blaming the cancellation on lingering maladies from Jones' brutal affair against Gustafsson. "Jon Jones went back in the gym and just didn't feel good," he told MMAjunkie. "He said his legs were still bothering him and his eye is bothering him. He still banged up from that fight."
That fight wasn't that long ago," White said. "It's like being in a car accident."
Very recently Jones had been talking up Teixeira, and discussing what a fierce challenge he posed. "I'm getting ready to fight this guy from Brazil who's won twenty fights in a row. Who's short and muscular and who finishes fights," Jones said.
The delay is not expected to ruin a Jones-Teixeira pairing altogether, as Glover will most likely sit tight and wait on his title shot rather than square off with a replacement opponent in February. It appears Gustafsson, meanwhile, has been challenged by Rashad Evans who had his hand raised on Saturday after a first-round thrashing of Chael Sonnen.
"I want Alexander Gustafsson, even Glover Teixeira," Evans said. "I'd love to fight some of the best guys in the division."
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