A partially torn MCL has forced former Strikeforce and PRIDE champ Dan “Hendo” Henderson out of his main event bout with UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon “Bones” Jones at UFC 151. The event, which was set to take place on September 1st in Las Vegas, Nevada, has now been cancelled.
News of the event’s cancellation was made official by UFC President Dana White today, who confirmed that a plan to have Chael Sonnen step in to face the champion was scrapped when Jones turned down the fight. Jones will now likely face Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida in a rematch at UFC 152.
Jones (16-1-0) and Machida (18-3-0) are now expected to compete in the main event of the UFC 152 card, which takes place on September 22nd in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and was previously headlined by the inaugural UFC Flyweight Championship bout between Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. The Benavidez-Johnson title tilt will now serve as the UFC 152 co-main event.
The remainder of the UFC 151 card, including the co-feature pitting Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger against Jay “The Thoroughbred” Hieron in a rematch from 2006, will likely be divided up and added to upcoming events. No official announcements have been made. A timetable for Henderson’s return is also unknown, but the veteran is expected to be sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Update: According to an MMAFighting.com report, the Ellenberger-Hieron rematch will be moved to UFC on FX 5 on October 5th in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)