5 times that a UFC main event was made weaker due to a last-minute change

By Scott Newman

Modified Sep 19, 2018 13:00 GMT

An injury to Jimi Manuwa has greatly weakened the main event of Fight Night 137

#5 UFC 178 – 09/27/14

Original main event: Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier

Replacement main event: Demetrious Johnson vs. Chris Cariaso

The fans just didn't seem to care about Demetrious Johnson vs. Chris Cariaso

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When longtime – and still unbeaten – Heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier announced a drop to 205lbs in early 2014, fans immediately began to salivate about a potential match between him and UFC Light-Heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

And sure enough, after Cormier beat Patrick Cummins and Dan Henderson in one-sided fashion, the fight with Jones was signed for UFC 178 in September.

The event looked like one of the all-time great shows, too – with rising star Conor McGregor facing Dustin Poirier, former Bellator champ Eddie Alvarez making his UFC debut against Donald Cerrone, former Bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz making his return, and the likes of Cat Zingano and Yoel Romero fighting on the undercard.

After a press conference ended in a shoving match between the two, the Jones/Cormier pairing became one of the most anticipated fights in promotional history, but then disaster struck.

About six weeks out, Jones injured his leg and had to withdraw, and the UFC decided to replace it with a fight initially booked for UFC 177 – a Flyweight title fight between Demetrious Johnson and Chris Cariaso.

This was a total damp squib as not only was fan interest in Johnson – and the Flyweight division – low anyway, but Cariaso was a non-entity as a contender and was only given the title shot as nobody else was available.

It represented probably the first and only time in UFC history that there were around five fights on the card with more fan intrigue than the main event.

In the end, the show was a massive success as almost every fight ended in exciting fashion. But sadly by the time the main event came around, the crowd were dead – a combination of not caring in the first place and exhaustion from the action of the previous fights – summing up the feeling surrounding the fight.

Johnson easily submitted Cariaso with a kimura in the second round, and Jones ended up fighting Cormier four months later at UFC 182.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Alan John