5 times UFC fighters saved cards

#4. Ovince Saint Preux - UFC 197

Jon Jones is his own worst enemy. Injury has rarely, if ever, prevented 'Bones' from fighting. Instead, his behavioral issues are often what stand between him and glory inside the octagon.

When Jones defeated his hated rival Daniel Cormier at UFC 182, there seemed to be no other challenger in sight who could test his mettle in the cage. What many did not foresee was that Jones himself was that very challenger.

A hit-and-run incident left Dana White with no choice but to strip him of his light heavyweight title. In his absence, Cormier became the reigning champion in the 205lbs weight class. Upon Jones' return, a rematch was scheduled for UFC 197. Anticipation was high as fans and analysts wondered if 'DC' had made the necessary adjustments to be a stiffer challenge to Jones. The answer to their questions, however, would have to wait.

After injuring his foot, Cormier was forced to withdraw from the scheduled bout. Many feared that Jones would not fight at all even if the promotion procured a late replacement. After all, Jones previously declined to face Chael Sonnen as a last-minute foe years ago, leading to the promotion canceling a card for the first time in its history.

Without Jones, Demetrious Johnson, who remains one of the lowest-drawing champions in the promotion's history, would have to shoulder the burden of carrying the card. Thus, a cancelation seemed imminent.

However, when Ovince Saint Preux offered to step up to replace Cormier, Jones stunned the MMA world by accepting. The card went on and Jones claimed victory via unanimous decision.

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#3. Chad Mendes - UFC 189

UFC 189 was originally planned as Conor McGregor's crowning moment. He was scheduled to face the then-reigning featherweight champion José Aldo. The Brazilian legend was the longtime king of the 145lb weight class, and McGregor emerged as the boldest challenger to his claim to the divisional throne.

Both men were undefeated in the featherweight division, and it was clear to everyone that the UFC would have a superstar on their hands if the Irishman won.

Alas, Aldo's rigorous training and hard sparring led to a rib injury that forced him to pull out of the matchup. What was once meant to be a bout contested for the undisputed featherweight championship became a matchup with an interim title as the prize. Chad Mendes, a two-time title challenger, answered the promotion's call. Suddenly, there was renewed interest as Mendes epitomized the opponent that the UFC was accused of protecting McGregor from.

At the time, the featherweight division was teeming with wrestlers, yet the Irishman had faced none of them. So when both men stepped inside the octagon, the bout was a test for 'The Notorious'. While he initially struggled against Mendes, conceding takedowns before an elbow split his brow open, he eventually fatigued his foe with sharp front kicks to the midsection.

Once Mendes was too tired to wrestle, McGregor flattened him with a long left hook along the fence, becoming the interim featherweight champion to set up a long-awaited matchup with Aldo.