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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The UFC has stripped Jon Jones of the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship and has suspended him indefinitely following his hit and run accident in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Daniel Cormier is now stepping in to fight Anthony "Rumble" Johnson at UFC 187 for that title.
The move comes after Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta met with Jones and his lawyer in Albuquerque on Tuesday.
"The UFC feels strongly that its athletes must uphold certain standards both in and out of the Octagon," a UFC statement read on Fox Sports Live Tuesday night. "While there is disappointment in the recent charges, the organization remains supportive of Jones as he works through the legal process."
Jones made his only comment on the matter prior to the announcement, saying the following on Twitter:
Got a lot of soul searching to do. Sorry to everyone I've let down.
Penick's Analysis: I'm honestly shocked they went this route. I didn't expect a swift and decisive move like this, and I didn't think they'd actually strip him of the title. It still seems like a hollow move, because when he eventually does come back he'll be fighting for that belt. That said, it does mean he won't be able to set the record for most title defenses in a row, so there's that. As for Cormier-Johnson, I'm not all that thrilled with the fight, or that Cormier's getting a shot at the title right away after convincingly losing to Jones.
[Jon Jones art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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