Jon Jones falls prey to the viral "EA UFC game curse" after having survived it once before; fans react

Jon Jones's withdrawal from the UFC 295 main event clash against Stipe Miocic has reignited discussions about the ominous EA UFC 5 curse that seems to haunt cover athletes.

Israel Adesanya's unexpected loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293, shortly after being unveiled as the cover athlete for UFC 5, casts a foreboding shadow of the alleged curse. Adesanya's loss, despite being a heavy favorite going into the fight, fueled fears of the jinx.

Adding to this mystique, Valentina Shevchenko's controversial split draw in her quest to regain the women's flyweight championship against Alexa Grasso at Noche UFC deepened concerns about the curse. The timing of these events, occurring shortly after their cover athlete roles, is uncanny according to many.

Most recently, featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski was knocked out for the first time in his UFC career against Islam Makhachev, shortly after he was featured on the cover of the video game series.

The history of the curse offers an intriguing backdrop, with past cover athletes like Jorge Masvidal, Conor McGregor, and Ronda Rousey facing unexpected setbacks. However, it is worth noting that Jon Jones, who was featured on the cover of the first UFC game, managed to survive the curse, scoring a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Alexander Gustafsson.

Ahead of the game's official release, Jon Jones' stimulated fight against Stipe Miocic was featured as the promo, aligning with the marketing for UFC 295. However, now that Jones has been forced to withdraw from the fight due to injury, fans are claiming that Jones has been hit by the curse. One fan wrote:

"The EA UFC 5 Curse strikes again: The Intro Fight was Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic, now that fight got CANCELLED!"

Another fan wrote:

"Yo @EASPORTS @ufc please don't put Jones in the UFC video game cover, the curse truly is real man."

Check out some of the reactions below:

Jon Jones UFC game curse [Images via X]

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Francis Ngannou reacts to the cancellation of Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic fight

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has reacted to the unfortunate news that Jon Jones has withdrawn from his scheduled UFC 295 title fight against Stipe Miocic due to a torn pectoral muscle.

Ngannou, who lobbied for a fight against 'Bones' for the longest time, is set to lock horns with heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury next.

Speaking candidly in an interview with MMA Junkie, Ngannou expressed his genuine regret over the situation, stating:

“Well, I think it’s sad news. It’s never good news when athletes get injured. Basically, in training. I hope he recovers well. I was very excited to watch that fight and see who was going to win that fight.”

Catch Francis Ngannou's comments below (0:20 onwards):