Jon Jones to face Cormier in UFC 178 after Gustafsson injures knee; Belfort-Weidman square off in UFC 181

Only one day after announcing that the Jon Jones-Alexander Gustafsson rematch had been scheduled for September 27 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the UFC has now had to amend its plans, as Gustafsson, the number-one ranked light heavyweight contender, has suffered a knee injury that has forced him to withdraw from his UFC 178 bout with Jones.

As a result, second-ranked contender Daniel Cormier will step in and challenge Jones, the champion, for the UFC light heavyweight title.  The fight's location and date will remain unchanged.

Undefeated at 15-0 in his pro career, Cormier owns UFC victories over the likes of Frank Mir, Roy Nelson, Patrick Cummins, and Dan Henderson. A two-time U.S. Olympian and former standout wrestler at Oklahoma State University, Cormier has long been considered a potential threat to Jones’ reign as 205-pound champion.

Cormier and Jones have traded words in the press for months and their feud only intensified once Cormier moved to the light heavyweight division at the start of 2014.

Finding the right venue for the original fight was no easy task, as the band Kings of Leon was set to perform in the arena on September 27.  An arrangement was worked out for the group to perform at The Lot along the Las Vegas Strip when it headlines the Boulevard Brew Fest.

"I really appreciate MGM Resorts, Live Nation, and Kings of Leon working together to help us bring this huge fight to Las Vegas,” said UFC President Dana White at the time of Jones-Gustafsson announcement.

Belfort, now licensed, will face Weidman in UFC 181

The UFC also announced that former champion Vitor Belfort was granted a license to compete in the state of Nevada at a commission hearing held today.

Belfort previously failed a drug test this year for elevated levels of testosterone.  Belfort claimed that the testosterone in his system was part of a doctor-prescribed medical therapy regimen he had been given.

A winner of three straight, Belfort will now face UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman in the main event of UFC 181 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Saturday, Dec. 6.

Since returning to the UFC in 2009, Belfort has scored victories over some of the biggest names in the sport, including Rich Franklin, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Anthony Johnson, Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold, and Dan Henderson.

Weidman, 30, is the current champ and the only man to defeat UFC legend Anderson Silva twice.  He is fresh off a victory over Lyoto Machida earlier this month in a bout that was a potential candidate for 2014 Fight of the Year.

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services