Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans Delayed Again

[Troy]

UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones (14-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) will fight in UFC 140's headliner, but it won't be against Rashad Evans (16-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC).

Injuries have cost Evans another promised title shot, and ex-champ Lyoto Machida (17-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has taken his spot in the December title fight.

UFC president Dana White today announced the news via Twitter.

The new newly announced main event comes a day after news of a potential Jones vs. Evans UFC 140 headliner. A source told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) and other outlets that the fight was being targeted for the Toronto show. However, White ultimately told MMAjunkie.com that wouldn't be the case.

UFC 140 takes place Dec. 10 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The night's main card airs on pay-per-view.

The slot initially was Evans, but a hand injury suffered in a recent win over Tito Ortiz will keep him sidelined. Evans, who sported a wrist and thumb cast earlier this month during UFC 135 media appearances, sat out most of 2010 waiting for a title shot with Rua that ultimately was scratched when Evans suffered his own knee injury. Then a planned Jones booking was scratched earlier this year due to the champ's uncertain timetable for a return from a hand injury.

Jones, who recently made his first successful title defense with a fourth-round submission win over Quinton Jackson, now owns five straight victories, which included a title win over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua back in March. His only career loss came early in his UFC career to Matt Hamill after Jones' was questionably disqualified due to illegal "12-to-6" elbow strikes. Jones, who's now ranked top-five in MMA's pound-for-pound rankings, otherwise dominated the December 2009 fight.

Machida recently got back in the win column with a vicious April knockout of Randy Couture. Prior to that, he suffered a title loss to Rua and a subsequent close split-decision defeat to Jackson. Before those two losses, the Brazilian karate specialist had posted 16 straight victories to open his career. The run included eight straight wins in the UFC. He now fights a current or past titleholder for the sixth straight time

Jon Jones explained why the mainevent was changed.

So you think he was trying to force your hand so you would look bad in the fans' eyes, but you then forced his hand?

Exactly. 100 percent that's what I'm trying to get at. He's tried to call me out on nine weeks' notice. Obviously, who wants to fight on nine weeks' notice? I just got a new car, I want to drive that around. I want to hang out with my family and relax and sleep in my own bed for once. And now Rashad calls me out, predicting that I would say no, to make me look like I was ducking him again, and I say yes, and now he says, Oh, I didn't know he would say yes. I don't want to fight him. He called Dana White, asked for 140, Dana White called me and said Rashad wants this fight. I gave him the fight he wanted and then he pulled out.

Really don't like Rashad now. What a dick move. He tried to make Jones look bad by only giving him a couple of months to recover and trying to get him to delay the fight so Rashad could claim Jones was ducking him. Now Jones agrees to the fight which Rashad doesn't expect so Rashad runs off and cancels. Losing respect for Rampage and gaining even more for Jones.

Slightly odd seeing Machida get the title shot considering after losing the title he lost to Rampage (athough that decision was a joke) and only beat Couture. I suppose he wasn't there first choice but I can't see Machida winning here.

 

[The New F'n Show]

They haven't been buliding anyone other than Jones for that spot so it makes sense Machida would get the rematch. This is a dick moves by Rashad if true. Losing respect for the ex Spartan.