MMA fans are going to have to wait a bit for the eagerly anticipated rematch between hated rivals Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight championship. With DC out of UFC 197 with an injury, No. 6 contender Ovince St. Preux will step up to face the returning Jones on just three weeks notice. The fight will be for the interim belt.
Bet on UFC 197 odds at BookMaker.eu
Jon Jones -800
Ovince St. Preux +500
Over/under 2.5 rounds, over +160, under -210
Please note, the UFC odds at BookMaker are updated on a daily basis, so the lines listed here may have changed.
FIRST REACTIONS
I really don’t get why an interim belt is involved here. It’s not like Cormier has been out for an extended period of time, nor is he taking fights outside of the weight class like Conor McGregor. Somehow, this interim title feels even more inconsequential than usual. My gut instinct is that the UFC wants to try and add some significance to the card that is surely going to lose a ton of pay-per-view revenue with DC’s withdrawal.
When it comes to the UFC odds at BookMaker, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jones gets even more expensive in the coming weeks. While St. Preux is a good, top-10 fighter, there is a huge dropoff from guys like Cormier, Gustaffson and Anthony Johnson to Rashad Evans, OSP and Glover Teixeira.
EARLY FIGHT PREVIEW
We don’t know how Jones will look after all his drama outside the cage, but we can reasonably assume that the 28-year old will be as good -- if not better -- than he was prior to his suspension. Considering that he was the top pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, the rest of the division has to be terrified.
I really can’t think of any reasons why anyone would even consider OSP has a chance to beat Jones. St. Preux hits hard, but it’s nowhere near the nuclear power that Rumble Johnson possesses. Jones has beaten sluggers like Glover Teixeira and strikers like Alexander Gustafsson, and OSP isn’t on the level of those fighters.
What’s more, St. Preux’s lack of wrestling is a glaring weakness. He was controlled handily by Ryan Bader, and Teixeira was able to choke him out. Based on those losses, we can argue that Jones could probably ground OSP and tie him up into a pretzel if he wanted to. It’d be the easiest path to victory for the former champ.
But the fact that Jones insisted on fighting on this card when news broke that DC was out says something. It seems like he really wants to come back and show that he’s still a monster. And that means carving OSP up on the feet with the spectacular striking that made him so popular. Against a slower opponent like St. Preux, Jones can probably land whatever the hell he wants.
Props to St. Preux for stepping up and taking this fight, but this is looking like a tune-up fight for Bones. All signs point to Jones demolishing OSP and finding his way to UFC 200 to face a healthy Cormier in a title unification bout.
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Access live betting lines at BookMaker Sportsbook and start wagering now. With our live betting options, you can also wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. UFC 197 takes place on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card will be televised on pay-per-view.
