This story was updated at 4:50 EST due to an error.
According to the California State Athletic Commission (via ESPN’s Brett Okamoto), UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones tested clean on his various UFC 232 drug tests with no picograms of the turninabol metabolite present.
Okamoto said the information came from CSAC head Andy Foster, and the tests were from USADA and the CSAC. There was no mention of VADA testing which Jones has volunteered to be part of in the months ahead.
Jones, UFC, and USADA found themselves embroiled in controversy in late-December as the promotion moved UFC 232 to California from Las Vegas due to 60-80 picograms that was found in Jones’ system in December following two separate tests in August and September when they found 19 picograms both times. There was a question whether the Nevada Athletic Commission would license in time for the fight, so UFC simply moved the whole show.
UFC VP Jeff Novitsky said multiple independent experts said the picogram was present from Jones’ previous positive tests for turinabol, something he denied taking knowingly. He was suspended for 15 months by USADA after testing positive in 2017.
Jones defeated Alexander Gustafsson via third round TKO on the show to regain the light heavyweight title.
Jones is set to defend that belt against Anthony Smith at March’s UFC 235 in Las Vegas if he can get licensed. That process is expected to kick off this month with Jones and the commission who said they want to speak with him about the picogram situation and everything surrounding the situation.
In a fight that bore no real resemblence to their first classic encounter, Jon Jones claimed the vacant UFC light heavyweight title at Saturday’s UFC 232 with a third round TKO win over Alexander Gustafsson.
Jones hit a takedown early in the third round and landed some big elbows, eventually transitioning to Gustafsson’s back where he unloaded some powerful left handed punches to his head that he wasn’t defending with the end coming at 2:02 of the round.
With the win, Jones passed Chuck Liddell for the most wins in the division’s history (17) while he tied Liddell for the most finishes in the division’s history (10).
After the fight, a somewhat subdued Jones called out Daniel Cormier and told him to “come get his belt back”.
In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes moved up to featherweight and knocked out champion Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino in less than a minute to become the first ever women’s “champ champ”, ending Justino’s run of dominance face planted on the mat.
The slugfest went just 51 seconds with Nunes getting the best of the action, landing power rights that hurt Justino and eventually throwing one that put her face first on the canvas in an incredible scene.
Justino is owed one more fight before March or she becomes a free agent while the UFC will have to now figure how whether Nunes will continue to hold both belts, something they just dealt with when Daniel Cormier held the light heavyweight and heavyweight titles.
Well, UFC 232 is on our doorstep after a very strange path to get here. The event moved locations from Las Vegas to Los Angeles due to a picogram of turinabol being found in Jon Jones’ system during USADA testing and concerns that due to the holiday week, the Nevada Athletic Commission wouldn’t license Jones to fight.
There’s obviously more to the story, but that’s been talked about, and will be talked more about, ad nauseum. For a few minutes, let’s focus on the show itself which is pretty damn great from top to bottom.
Helping me finish off the year, as always, are Paul Fontaine and Ryan Frederick. If you’re interested in hearing more about the year that was, check out part 1 and part 2 of my year in review series.
For what it’s worth, thie UFC on Fox era officially ends tonight with the FS1 prelims. Then, we’re onto ESPN.
The card:
Vacant Light Heavyweight Championship: Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson II
Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino vs. Amanda Nunes
Carlos Condit vs. Michael Chiesa
Ilir Latifi vs. Corey Anderson
Chad Mendes vs. Alexander Volkanovski
Andrei Arlovski vs. Walt Harris
Cat Zingano vs. Megan Anderson
Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Petr Yan
BJ Penn vs. Ryan Hall
Andre Elwell vs. Nathaniel Wood
Uriah Hall vs. Bevon Lewis
Curtis Millender vs. Siyar Bahadurzada
Brian Kelleher vs. Montel Jackson
What are you most looking forward to?
Paul: Not the main event, that’s for sure. I’m sure it will be a great fight but the whole leadup just leaves a sour taste in my mouth. The co-main is it for me. This is the closest betting line for a Cris Cyborg fight ever and for good reason. Nunes has quietly put together one of the most impressive runs in the history of women’s MMA, the names on her resume are arguable bigger than Cyborg’s, and she’s gotten finishes against most of them. The only issue I have with this fight is the aftermath as the women’s bantamweight division (where Nunes is still champion) is kind of a mess no matter what happens.
Ryan: Regardless of the circumstances surrounding it, Jones vs. Gustafsson is the fight to watch. Their first fight was an absolute classic and one of the best fights in UFC history. There’s nothing to say that this one won’t be just as good, and the co-main event between Cyborg and Nunes should be just as good. We will see who the best female fighter on the planet is, and it couldn’t come at a better time as both are at the top of their game right now. It could have easily headlined its own event. There are two fantastic fights on top of this card.
Josh: Even with the issues leading into the event, it’s still Jones vs. Gus. I loved that first fight so much that I’m glad we finally get to seem them bring it back, but it’s a goddamn shame all of the b.s. has put an asterisk on this. If Gus wins, he’s a mega babyface. If Jones wins, I’m guessing we’ll hear more boos than cheers but that seems to flip with the situation.
Anything being slept on?
Ryan: There are a lot of fun fights on this card. Carlos Condit is one of the most exciting fighters in MMA history and has an opponent in Michael Chiesa who should give him a fun fight. The featherweight bout between Mendes and Volkanovski is a great matchup and a real test to see whether Volkanovski will be able to break through to contender status.
Paul: BJ Penn fighting on the televised opener, I guess. That speaks to the depth of this card but also shows how far he’s fallen. I do think that Ryan Hall is a good opponent in the sense that Penn probably won’t take a lot of damage but I don’t think he has much chance of winning. That said, 155 is probably a better weight class for him if he is insistent on fighting.
Josh: Without a doubt, Nunes vs. Cyborg. The Jones drug stuff has taken all the focus away from this bout which should be the best women’s fight in MMA history based on skill level and accomplishments. Cyborg’s March contract date is also a fun side note to all of this and if she doesn’t fight again by that date, tonight could be her UFC swan song. A win for her could mean the end of her division while a loss just throws more wrenches into the 135/145 equation yet again.
Anything not doing it for you?
Josh: Not necessarily a fight, but I’m confused why UFC keeps running Andrei Arlovski and BJ Penn out there. I know Arlovski has picked up some wins, but they are getting less and less enjoyable to watch. As the kids say, Penn has been washed for quite some time. Hall isn’t a heavy hitter, but Penn has lost seven of his last nine. The lone win? A 2010 knockout of the then-equally as done Matt Hughes. No buys.
Paul: Ilir Latifi vs. Corey Anderson feels like something I’ve seen a dozen times before even though they’ve never fought. The fact that these may be two of the top five light heavyweights in the UFC speaks more to how much the division has fallen than it does about either of these two guys. This really should almost be a title eliminator but I can’t see Jones or Gustafsson defending against either of these two any time soon.
Ryan: I’m not really a fan of Penn fighting again. I think it’s long past time for him to hang it up for good. If there is a fight for him to take, it is against Hall. It’s a low-risk fight where he will likely not take a lot of damage, but Hall will make it a boring fight, and Penn isn’t one, at this stage of his career, who will engage freely unless forced to. It could be a very boring fight.
What will be people talking about most after the show is done?
Paul: How long it will be until Jones fails another drug test. That and/or what’s next for Jones. Win or lose, he’s got big money fights lined up with either Brock Lesnar or Daniel Cormier, neither of which would likely involve the title he’s fighting for. Should Gustafsson win, he’s either going to want a rematch with Cormier or a rubber match with Jones. But, it’s likely 50/50 that Jones somehow fails another test and this belt ends up held up at the end of it all and UFC will only have themselves to blame should that happen.
Ryan: While it should be talk about whomever wins the fight between Cyborg and Nunes, it will unfortunately be about how Jon Jones is again the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion under these ridiculous circumstances. He shouldn’t even be fighting now, or perhaps ever, but for whatever reason they decide to give him of all people a free pass. It’s not a good look for the company, and they’re putting themselves in this situation and not seeming to care how they look to their other fighters and their fans.
Josh: That Jones is still one of, if not THE, best of all time and that he will continue to be the most talked about fighter of today outside of Conor McGregor. Also, he’ll call out Lesnar and will try to steal that fight from Cormier. The other thing that will be talked about quite a bit is how the UFC handled this week. While Dana White doesn’t care about what people think about him or the UFC, I am interested to see what long-term damage, if any, was caused by this week. My gut says they will be fine…and they know it.
After a dizzying few days in moving Saturday’s UFC 232 show from Las Vegas to Los Angeles due to a Jon Jones USADA test abnormality, the four main participants for the event will talk to the media Thursday afternoon.
Starting at 5 PM Eastern below, you can watch Jon Jones, Alexander Gustafsson, Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino, Amanda Nunes, and Dana White talk to the media.
The Jones-Gustafsson fight will be for the UFC light heavyweight title currently held by Daniel Cormier. At fight time, Cormier, also the heavyweight champion, will be stripped of the title.
The co-main event will be for Justino’s featherweight belt as Nunes, the bantamweight champion, moves up in weight for a fight that has been discussed most of the year.
The rest of the show is very solid featuring Carlos Condit vs. Mike Chiesa, Chad Mendes vs. Alexander Volkanovski, BJ Penn vs. Ryan Hall, Megan Anderson vs. Cat Zingano, and more.
On 12/20, USADA informed the UFC and the Nevada State Athletic Commission that Jon Jones had tested positive for the steroid Turinabol in a surprise test on 12/9.
This set into motion a series of crazy things, misleading statements and outright deceptions.
Under normal circumstances, Jones positive test, which would be his third drug test failure (the failed cocaine test in 2014 doesn’t count against him because it was out of competition) would mean an eight-year suspension.
An eight-year suspension would be it for Jones. While he probably could still come back, his prime would be long past. USADA already handed Jones his break, cutting down what by its bylaws should have been a four-year suspension.
However, USADA ruled that the Turinabol he tested positive for was residuals of the same Turinabol that he tested positive for in a July 28, 2017, test, which he was already punished for.
The Nevada commission felt that they couldn’t clear him without at least a hearing, and because it was Christmas weekend, most of the commission was out of town. The next day, the UFC started looking at moving the show from the T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to either California or Texas, as both commissions stated they would allow the Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson main event for the light heavyweight title.
In an unprecedented move, this Saturday’s UFC 232 pay-per-view will move from Las Vegas, NV, to Los Angeles, CA, due to a Jon Jones test abnormality.
The news was first reported by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.
From Okamoto: “Jon Jones tested for a trace amount of the same metabolite that was found in his system in 2017. USADA has ruled the test was caused by a residual amount of the substance from 2017 and will not sanction Jones, but Nevada didn’t feel it could license him. California will.”
In an interview with Yahoo’s Kevin Iole, USADA head and UFC VP Jeff Novitzy said that a trace of oral turinabol “the size of one-50 millionth of a grain of sand was found in an anti-doping sample given by Jon Jones to USADA on Dec. 9” and that independent experts concluded it was not a re-ingestion that caused it but a trace from his previous 2017 positive test.
On SportsCenter, UFC president Dana White and Novitzy discussed the news and reiterated this wasn’t a positive test.
Jones tested positive for Turinabol after his July 2017 victory over Daniel Cormier to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight title. He was retroactively suspended for 15 months and cleared to fight earlier this fall. The Nevada Athletic Commission released a statement saying Jones had withdrew his pending license application and that Jones will appear at a January hearing to discuss the matter.
From Iole: “Nevada officials aren’t as familiar with the 2017 case and because four of its five commissioners are out of town for the holidays, it agreed to allow Jones to go to California to fight and then appear at a January hearing in Nevada.”
The event will take place at the Forum in Los Angeles with tickets going on sale Wednesday. Refunds for those with Las Vegas tickets will be made available.
According to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, most fighters found out about the news via social media and not direct contact with the UFC.
Despite the positive test, Jones will face Alexander Gustafsson for the vacant light heavyweight title in Saturday’s main event.
With standout performances from Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, Brock Lesnar, and Daniel Bryan, Survivor Series and the days leading into the pay-per-view were as strong of a stretch as the WWE main roster has had all year. An injury that took Lynch out of what was going to be the biggest moment of her career thus far ended up having plenty of silver linings.
Look at what came out of Survivor Series as the lead story in the new issue of the Observer. The issue runs down more plans for the Royal Rumble and another planned main event and angle for WrestleMania, and look at the strange booking and what makes sense and doesn’t.
Also look at the trademarks of All Elite Wrestling, who is behind the promotion, what they need, and the important questions on how this relates to pro wrestling in 2019.
Read an update on New Japan on AXS TV, with the announcing change and early year schedule including Tokyo Dome coverage.
Examine the plans by WWE to open up territories around the world, including places earmarked first, the announcement expected to be made imminently and the philosophy behind these expansions.
Read why the XFL in 2020 is different from 2001 and how the media differences make this a new ball game, plus one of the leading television executives in the country talks about being willing to get into bed with the XFL
In addition, there are rundowns from all the WWE arena events from the past week with results, highlights and business.
There is a rundown of NXT Takeover War Games, with notes on the show, story behind the lineup, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings.
Also look at the domestic violence case involving UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich and her husband, what each side is claiming and more.
ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer, or by using PayPal directing funds to [email protected].
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If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can choose one free classic issue or two free classic issues with a 40-issue subscription.
TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
Silas Young was at last night’s Raw show, according to PWInsider. His contract with Ring of Honor is up at the end of the year.
There’s a bit of confusion going on regarding a match for SmackDown. WWE already announced that The Bar would be taking on The Usos in a non-title match. However, both Sheamus and Cesaro have put out tweets issuing an openchallenge.
Pete Dunne on the recent reports concerning NXT UK: “British wrestling is safe. Will continue to grow, the talent pool is deep. Your favourite wrestlers are achieving goals and taking steps in their career. Don’t believe everything you read. Britwres is alive and well.”
Jan Murphy of Postmedia talked to Tyson Kidd, who discussed his career, meeting the Hart family and his career-ending injury.
Speaking of that injury, Samoa Joe talked to City Pages and didn’t rule out using the muscle buster again in the future. It was Kidd landing wrong on impact from Joe’s muscle buster that ended his career.
Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins will team together for a toy drive for Toys for Tots. You can send in brand-new WWE toys to Hawkins’ Create a Pro Wrestling Academy at 95 Engineers Drive Hicksville, N.Y. 11801. This starts now and will end on December 11.
Ronda Rousey, Natalya, Sasha Banks, Bayley & Ember Moon defeated Nia Jax, Tamina & The Riott Squad in a post-Raw dark match last night.
The fan who asked a question during the open forum segment of Raw was Minnesota indy wrestler Kara Noia.
Pro Wrestling
Several charges against Joey Mercury were dropped today in Orange County Court in Florida. Mercury had been charged with Identity Theft, Conspiracy to commit credit card fraud over $300, Use or Possession of Personal Identification Information and Petit Theft. He was arrested over All In weekend back in September after police ran a background check.
The NWA has uploaded the NWA World’s Heavyweight title match between Nick Aldis and Cody from their anniversary show on their YouTube page.
CM Punk did an interview with MMA Fighting about joining the commentary team for Cage Fury Fighting Championships and was asked about The Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes potentially being involved in starting a new promotion:
“I think at this point that whatever those guys decide to do will be great for them and their families. If I was asked what I would do or what I would say to them — because they could obviously go to WWE whenever they want — it’s just a matter of is this what’s best for your family? And I think we live in a time now where WWE is not the end-all, be-all. I don’t think it has been for quite some time. I think the stigma that it is is still there and probably will persist for many, many years. But enough people have been there and left that can, I guess, extoll the knowledge of, ‘Hey, you know what, the place ain’t all that.’ And I’m in a spot now where I’ve been gone what, five years? Maybe the place has changed. I’ve got people who text me and say otherwise, but there’s ways to make money and support your family outside of that. With also being able to satisfy the side of your brain that’s creative, the side of your brain that loves professional wrestling, the reason you bought a pair of boots in the first place. And I think those guys can definitely do that. I think they can command their price if they want there. But if they did go there, then they’d just be another guy — just like everybody else on that show. It’s amazing, the more time the show gets, the less time it really seems they develop new characters.”
Punk was also asked if he’d have any interest in joining the promotion. He said that “pro wrestling is not on my radar,” but mentioned that he’d be willing to listen if they made an offer:
“I would always listen. I would listen to them, because just like Dave [Sholler], I like the Young Bucks. I text with Matt on and off. But business is business. I know Cody was out there in the media saying that an offer was made [for the All In event Sept. 1]. An offer was not made. Calling me up or texting me saying, ‘Hey, if you want to come to the show and do something, we would love that’ is not an offer. That’s not an offer. There’s other things. There’s a couple more loose ends that I’m still trying to tie up to fully absolve me from the world of pro wrestling. I feel like I’ve still been attached to it since the day that I left it and that’s mostly because of fugazi lawyers and such. But we’re wrapping all that up and that’ll come to an end. And once I’m truly free, we can explore the world and just float and hang out. And I can walk my dog and drink coffee and do commentary for Dave Sholler and continue to train at Roufusport. And do all kinds of stuff. I’ve earned it, I’ve paid my dues.”
Paige VanZant vs. Rachael Ostovich is back on for the UFC’s Fight Night show on January 19. Ostovich has been cleared to remain in the fight despite suffering a fractured orbital bone during an alleged attack by her husband earlier this month.
Dana White claimed on the latest episode of UFC Unfiltered that the UFC let Sage Northcutt (who is a free agent now that his contract is up) go: “We let Sage go. Sage is young and Sage needs some work. So let him get some work in one of these other organizations and we’ll see where this kid ends up in a couple of years and maybe we’ll pick him back up again.”
White commented on Chuck Liddell being allowed to fight for Golden Boy Promotions: ““I love Chuck Liddell and I don’t ever want to bad mouth Chuck Liddell,” White said. “People even think I’m remotely bad mouthing Chuck Liddell, but the reality is — first of all, I heard last week the cokehead ‘Oscar De La Weirdo’ is talking sh*t that I don’t have any place to tell guys when to retire. First of all, it’s called ‘friendship’ you f*cking cokehead. I’ve been friends with Chuck Liddell for 20 years and the reality is that Chuck Liddell retired when he should have retired. Eight, nine years ago, however long it was. And Chuck Liddell’s almost 50 years old and has no business fighting anymore. The fact that the state of California even let that fight happen is disgusting. Disgusting. Chuck Liddell has an incredible legacy. He’s a huge superstar in this sport, so of course as a friend, anybody who claims to be a friend of Chuck Liddell and was anywhere near this fight is full of shit. They’re not a friend of Chuck Liddell. To let him go in and fight this fight is terrible.”
It was made official yesterday that Henry Cejudo will defend the flyweight title against bantamweight TJ Dillashaw at UFC 233 on January 26.
Chad Mendes vs. Alexander Volkanovski is set for UFC 232 on December 29.
WWE’s return to Saudi Arabia ended up being almost as much of a mess as most expected it to be. A tag team main event with the combined age of 206, two of the promotion’s biggest stars pulling out of the show, Hulk Hogan returning to WWE television without the company really promoting it in advance, Brock Lesnar once again becoming Universal Champion, and Shane McMahon winning the World Cup tournament were the most notable moments from a show that is on the list of the most controversial events in WWE history.
The fallout of Crown Jewel is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Look at the returns of Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels, Brock Lesnar’s new contract, Shane McMahon’s World Cup win, the stock price, network cancellations, and Renee Young on tour.
Look at Survivor Series and TLC plans, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.
Read the run down of the UFC’s schedule for the first three months of 2019, including the ESPN strategy to get people to subscribe to ESPN+, and plans for matches on the early shows of the year.
Also look at WrestleKingdom 2019, with the lineup announced, other matches expected, the tag team tournament, plus full coverage of Power Struggle with match-by-match coverage, star ratings and poll results.
Read coverage of the end of the overrun and what it means, WWE buying tape library, WWE stars get married this past week, Hulk & Linda Hogan TV special, new NXT Takeover match, details on the WWE tryouts in Germany and notes on those who were there.
Look at the career of Jose Lothario, one of the biggest stars in the history of Texas wrestling.
Run down UFC 230, including PPV numbers, TV numbers, lessons of the show, plus match-by-match coverage with poll results.
ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer, or by using PayPal directing funds to [email protected].
Rates in the United States are $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52. In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to [email protected]. For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52. If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.)
If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can choose one free classic issue or two free classic issues with a 40-issue subscription.
Today is the 13th anniversary of Eddie Guerrero’s passing.
Edge & Christian’s podcast now has a home on Westwood One. Their next show will feature both Nita Strauss and Shawn Michaels.
The poster for this year’s NXT TakeOver: WarGames has been released.
Pro Wrestling
Jim Ross wrote on Twitter: “I’m reluctantly heading to #LAX this week for my final voiceover session with @AXSTV as these 3 shows will take us to the end of the year when my contract ends. Thanks @Adamswift34 @dannyzack & the entire crew.” Dave Meltzer reported in last week’s Observer that due to a contractual issue, he’ll miss shows that will air from 12/31 through 3/31, when his WWE contract expires.
The first Pro-Wrestling All Star Battle match has been announced. NOSAWA and Kaz Hayashi will team up to take on the team of Mil Mascaras (76) and Dos Caras (67).
Jon Jones’ return to the Octagon appears to be officially set.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported this afternoon that Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson is a “done deal” for UFC 232 in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 29. It will be for the UFC light heavyweight championship, with Daniel Cormier being stripped of the title as soon as the fight starts.
It was reported at the end of September that the UFC was trying to make Jones vs. Gustafsson for UFC 232, and Cormier had said he expected to be stripped of the light heavyweight title. Cormier will defend his heavyweight championship against Derrick Lewis in the main event of UFC 230 at Madison Square Garden on November 3.
This will be the second time Jones and Gustafsson have faced each other in their careers. In what’s considered to be one of the best fights in UFC history, Jones defeated Gustafsson by unanimous decision in September 2013.
Last month, USADA announced that Jones would be eligible to return on October 28 of this year. Jones received a 15-month suspension that’s retroactive to when he tested positive for Turinabol on July 28, 2017. That test was taken the day before his fight against Cormier at UFC 214.
Jones vs. Gustafsson joins a UFC 232 card that also features Cris Cyborg defending her women’s featherweight title against women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes.
The UFC has signed their second champion vs. champion fight of 2018 as women’s featherweight champion Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino will face women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 232 in Las Vegas on December 29th, the promotion’s final show of the calendar year.
The news was first reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN. The fight will be for Justino’s featherweight title.
The 33-year-old Justino will be looking for the third defense of the title she won in July 2017. She has been unbeaten since her pro debut in 2005, a stretch of more than 20 fights, and is 5-0 in the UFC.
The 30-year-old Nunes has won seven straight and has three successful defenses of the title she won from Miesha Tate at UFC 200 in July 2016.
It’s unknown if this will be the main event of the show or if another title fight will headline instead. Given the promotion’s schedule over the next few months, that would appear to be unlikely unless Daniel Cormier was to defend his light heavyweight title or if the much-anticipated Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega featherweight title fight was slotted there instead.
In July, Cormier bested Stipe Miocic to win the UFC heavyweight title to go along with his light heavyweight crown.
