Jon Jones Pulled from UFC 200: What Happens Now?

You know what.

Let's not even start with the pound for pound number one, because it is clear to many that not only does he not deserve that title anymore, but he doesn't deserve to be the focal point of discussion. Let's start with Daniel Cormier.

It goes without saying that there is not one male or female competitor within the UFC to this current day that can fully empathise with Cormier in this tragic moment. A feud in which DC truly, wholeheartedly believed he could lay his marker down on, is now out of the picture, and there is nothing Cormier can do about it.

Devastating is an understatement.

Back in April, Cormier was left shell-shocked that he (not Jones) was the one being booed at the UFC 200 Press Conference in Madison Square Garden. But, no-one really raised any eyebrows. We all knew the deal. Fans were sceptical about DC's belt because it was "not solidified" until he beat the champ who never lost the belt, Jones.

Fans who booed Cormier, have to now look back now in embarrassment. You boo a man who has never violated any form of drug testing, has never got himself in any trouble outside the octagon, and has never been defeated in the UFC by any man bar Jon Jones.

On the flip side of the coin, we come to the man of the hour. "Sexual Chocolate" "Bones" "JBJ" whatever you want to call him, for Jon Jones it is just another case of two steps forward, one step back.

A distraught Daniel Cormier addresses the media today
Credit: MMAFightingonSBN

Cormier had it all written out on the table. He predicted this drama would unfold yet again on countless occasions, but no-one really spared him any second look. "Mistakes, mistakes, you don't constantly make mistakes" Cormier said speaking on UFC Counterpunch last week. 

"Many times we've heard this speech. Why am I supposed to believe this guy?" Well DC, us UFC fans (at least myself for that sake) now repeat this question to ourselves when thinking about Jones. Too many times now, Jones has bit off more than he can chew. And if Jones stated that his hit-and-run incident last September left him at 'rock bottom', where he is going to be now? Bedrock? Please, spare me the excuses.

However, I'd be lying if I said my thoughts on Jones mimicked DC's. Cool calm and collected may be way to cliché, but seriously, Jones was almost in a 'state of zen' so to speak prior to this Saturday's fight. His laid back mannerisms at the press conferences won most of us over, and then boom. Just like that. It's gone, all gone.

The reason why no-one shared the same opinion as DC is because they didn't want to believe it. Why would fans want to think Jones will mess up again a few days prior to the biggest event UFC ever? Why would Dana or Lorenzo have any form of concern when everything was going smoothly and as planned? For Cormier, it was expected, but he just didn't know when it would occur.

I guess we now have our answer.

Records set to be broken, animosity begins to climb, sitting patiently for those two words, as Buffer yelps “it’s time!”

Three tantalizing title fights. The return of a global phenomenon. A chaotic card from head to toe. Each day, we step ever so closer to the “the biggest event in company history.”

To say the build up to UFC 200 has been frenetic would be an understatement. All it took was one tweet, which didn’t even come close to bypassing Twitter’s absurd 140 character-limit, to send not only the MMA world, but the whole sporting world into a rambunctious rampage. CNN, ESPN, BBC, FOX Sports, and monumental newspapers from over the globe (even the New York Times for God’s sake!) were all captivated by Conor McGregor’s retirement tweet. Now, there are two things which we evidently know about “The Notorious One.” Firstly, being he loves to cash pay checks, and secondly, he has a lust for breaking records. Ironically, his ‘retirement’ tweet did both. Whilst graciously thanking his fans for the “cheese”, his message was retweeted over 152,000 times, smashing fellow sports icon Kobe Bryant’s retirement tweet out of the water.

No-one predicted the flamboyant Irishman’s memo would of lead to such catastrophic repercussions. Denied a potential $10m payday, raucous rematch and an appearance at the UFC’s grandest event to date, it was surprisingly McGregor who had the last laugh. Putting on a brave face (but was undoubtedly turbulent inside!) president, Dana White, stood uncomfortably as he was heckled by an exasperated crowd after pulling McGregor from UFC 200.What makes the situation even more comical, is that they left an empty seat for the Irishman at the conference; if that is not shooting yourself in the foot, or rubbing salt in your wound, I don’t know what is.

McGregor's tweet which "broke the internet."

The hegemony of the so called ‘trash talker’ lives on again though. Once the pestering and pansiness had all boiled down, McGregor (to many bandwagoners disbelief) was reinstated and rewarded his re-match. Who said luck of the Irish was just a myth.

Wait a second, did I say the pansiness had all boiled down? Oh, forgive me. Because as we all know, this is the UFC, and the senseless squabbling never seems to stop simmering. Let’s cut to the chase, White has never had the most sentimental feelings towards Ariel Helwani, so if a chance arises to take a pop at him, you can be pretty sure that White’s dictator-like style is going to pounce at it.

This scenario could have never been so fitting last month at UFC 199. Minutes prior to Michael Bisping’s gold-claiming knockout over Luke Rockhold, Helwani’s career as a triumphant journalist was about to take a plunge for the worst (at least that’s what we all thought!) “Leaking” the McGregor fight had White peeved, but leaking the Brock fight drove Dana up the wall. Credentials taken, relationships ruined, Helwani left heartbroken. After two days of endless criticism from fans who were up in awe, Helwani (like McGregor) was reinstated to cover UFC events.

What a shock, the UFC backpedal on an irrational decision, who would have ever predicted that?!

After all the miscommunications, diversions and altercations, it looks like we at last have our ‘stacked’ UFC 200 card (although other may not feel as enthusiastic). What looked to be the most promising card in MMA (let alone UFC) history, has somewhat been overshadowed by the loss of “Cholo Gangster Vs Leprechaun 2.”

Bugger.

However, if there was one fight that could re-ignite fans expectations, from flyweight to heavyweight, from Bob Sapp to Georges St Pierre, it would have to be the long awaited grudge (re)-match between current #1 pound for pound, and arguably the greatest fighter in UFC history (no that’s not being hyperbolic!), Jon Jones. Against his adversary, and current heavyweight champ, Daniel Cormier.

Hey pussy, are you still there?

It would be no stranger to your ears if I told you how much Jones and ‘DC’ despise each other, so no, I won’t focus on their bitter sweet relationship…but oh isn’t it entertaining! Verbal diarrhoea, fists flying, Jones and DC have the bond of two immature, spoilt twelve-year-old brothers.

Brock Lesnar. We’ve all heard the name. “Ain’t that the bloody huge geezer in WWE?” Yes, that’s the one. But what sticks in my head about Brock is not his mammoth structure, or abnormally sized trapezius, it is his gigantic PPV buys.

7 years ago, at UFC 100, Brock (with help of other fighters of course) set the current PPV record of 1.6 million, when he brutalised Frank Mir on the ground in their rematch to retain bragging rights, and of course the heavyweight title. Now a hundred UFC’s later, he returns to the octagon; to face the super Samoan with serious KO power, Mark Hunt.

Post UFC 100 - Lesnar: "Talk all the shit you want motherfucker!"

Nah, the build up to the “biggest event in company history” has not been dramatic whatsoever, so buckle yourselves up and prepare for a bore fest!

Will Ovince break bones? Or will Jon be crowned “And New.”

Freaked out, afraid. The three words Jon Jones used to describe the hit and run ordeal in which he was involved in last year. Interestingly enough, next Wednesday (April 27th) marks a year in which the "worst 16 seconds of my life" occurred for Jones. Nevertheless, the whole situation has felt like a "blessing" for Bones in which he described in detail to Ariel Helwani as they took a long walk through Albuquerque and discussed the accident last November.

However, the bad times are in the past for the pound-for-pound number one, and this Saturday at the MGM, he will be looking to flip the tables as he faces the explosive athlete in Ovince Saint Preux. Of course this was never the original plan heading to UFC 197's main event. As Daniel Cormier withdrew coincidentally on April 1st, to many fans disappointment that this wasn't an April Fools', citing a foot injury. With many 205-pounders already booked to fight in the near future, it was #6 ranked OSP who got the call to face Bones for the interim belt at 205.

P4P #1 Jones has kept in great shape
for this fight camp.

Jones, who has never looked in better shape for a fight, last fought all the way back at UFC 182 in which he handed his biggest adversary Cormier his first MMA loss of his career. With razor sharp Muay Thai, and gritty Greco-Roman wrestling, Bones will be looking to come out this fight clean as he has already mentioned he's "willing" to fight at UFC 200. Although, it is certainly no-easy task to say the least as he will have to get through a powerful stand up fighter with heavy hands in Saint-Preux. Funnily enough, the last time fight plans for UFC 200 were being made in the lead up to a fight did not end the way many expected. That was last month at UFC 196 in which Nate Diaz handed Conor McGregor his first loss in the UFC and proves once again the unpredictability of this great promotion.

You wouldn't think the top two pound-for-pound fighters were fighting this weekend would you? With all the controversy surrounding the recent statements made by the notorious one, it has overshadowed the thrilling card in which UFC 197 sets out to be on paper. That's because the co-main event of the evening features yet another title fight, this time in the flyweight division. Arguably the most dominant champion of UFC history, Demetrious Johnson, takes on Olympic gold medallist, Henry Cejudo, in what promises to be a compelling bout matchup between veteran and newcomer. Mighty Mouse has single-handedly cruised through every challenger that he has faced in the UFC, so enigmas have to be raised whether Cejudo will become the odd one out, or just another fallen victim to DJ's immense technique.

Both Segio & Anthony Pettis have trained
with Jones for this fight camp, all three
fight this Saturday at UFC 197.

Tomorrow's nights intriguing match-ups do not stop there. Prior to the co-main event, taekwondo specialists Anthony Pettis and Edson Barboza will face off in a bout the could go down one of two ways; an amazing fight, or an horrendous fight. Linking back to Pettis' latest defeat against Eddie Alvarez in which many fans were not impressed in the manor Alvarez won the fight as expectations were dampened on by reality. Two middleweights both on four-fight winning streaks will collide as Robert Whittaker looks to put on another impressive performance against BJJ black belt Rafael Natal. Finally, the on to watch is the lightweight bout that kicks starts the main card. Two unorthodox, diverse stand up artists in Yair Rodriquez and Andre Fili clash and look to both provide an impressive performance to set up a strong start to this highly anticipated card.