it seems ufc 178 simply is not meant to be the blockbuster event everybody had it pegged as way back in march, when alexander gustafsson reclaimed his #1 contender’s slot with a success over jimi manuwa. few saw jon jones’ april title defense against glover teixeira as more than a mere detour on the road to jones/gustafsson 2, and the masses were correct score tips. although it took some time to decide on a particular date and place, the bout was highly anticipated whenever and where it would happen. then, all of a sudden, alexander gustafsson has been made to drop from the fight with a torn meniscus. no issue, in stepped daniel cormier to take his position along with the mma world was even more enthusiastic. then the infamous media day brawl took place, and ufc 178 became a must-watch occasion for more than just the mma community. it had the kind of buzz that few ufc events garner, and probably would have been the biggest grossing light heavyweight bout because quinton jackson vs. rashad evans back in ufc 114. of course, things rarely ever go to program in mma, and even the backup plans fall through occasionally. jon jones declared yesterday that he also was injured in training and pressured out of ufc 178. the organization has rescheduled jones and cormier to headline ufc 182 in january, in which they will probably share the card with ronda rousey at a yearlong (or beginning ) card that hearkens back to the days of stacked events across the new year. the only problem with all of this however, is that this was assumed to be alexander gustafsson’s battle all together, and by january he will likely be ready to proceed. will the ufc really forego what might be another classic involving jones and gustafsson for its buck signs apparently evident for jones and cormier? it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out during the next few weeks, but early signs are that the swede is going to wind up a very unhappy camper. obviously in mma news when it rains, it pours, and it was a busy day beyond the jones injury. ufc 177 and flyweight champion demetrious johnson felt the domino effect from the injury, as his title defense against chris cariaso will be moving to the main event of ufc 178. understanding that fans would be frustrated with all the change, johnson tweeted (tongue-in-cheek),”bad: you’ll have to wait a little longer to see me win . good: i’m the new ufc 178 headliner. bout time that card receives a true principal event.” to fill out ufc 177, the organization has put together a bout between a set of highly touted champions from the regional circuit. former bellator and tachi palace fights champion joe soto will compete just 3 weeks after his most recent bout, and he will be carrying on former mfc winner anthony birchak in one of the better fights between ufc newcomers that’s been made in 2014. the bantamweights will likely complete a spot on the ufc fight pass prelims. soto’s old promotion also announced a set of bouts yesterday, as heavy hitters doug marshall and melvin manhoef will headline bellator 125 on september 19th. while this bout is of nearly zero relevance in any kind of divisional ranks, it should be violent and fun for however long it lasts. following in the exact same mold is the co-main occasion on the card comprising brian rogers and james irvin, two of the guys discovered on any highlight reel of flying knees in mma history. betting lines will likely lean towards manhoef and rogers in their respective bouts, as they are the more talented strikers in what ought to be completely striking contests. a pair of axs tv promotions announced upcoming bouts too, with legacy fc 37 being headlined by two of its former winners, leonard garcia and daniel pineda. garcia just lost his featherweight belt to damon jackson in legacy fc 33, also pineda — a former lightweight and featherweight champ from the promotion — was only re-signed after being cut from the ufc. it’s quite likely that jackson will be signed into the ufc earlier this bout takes place on november 14th, and if that is the case this could establish a new champion as well. following garcia’s quick loss in his final outing, anticipate the public to favor pineda, and he will likely open as a small favorite. rfa continues their tour around the western united states as rfa 18 occurs in albuquerque, new mexico on september 12th. the event will be headlined by flyweight champion matt manzanares defends his belt against undefeated albuquerque native joby sanchez. sanchez only knocked off antonio banuelos last week at tachi palace fights 20, and will be taking this bout on just over a month’s notice. this line should be close, but the people may push it slightly towards manzanares because he is the more well-known of the two.
