Preparing for the Worst: Who Fights Cormier if Jones Doesn't Show?

While the official announcement of UFC 200's main event—a rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz—has served as a solid distraction, the unfortunate truth is that the main event of UFC 197, which is now less than a month away, remains in real jeopardy. Yes, after another car-related brush with the law, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has spent much of this week in a jail cell, and could well be forced out of his looming title rematch with new champion Daniel Cormier as a result.

Of course, optimists believe that Jones will still be allowed to compete, and this could turn out to be true. He may well be pardoned for his crimes, return to training, and show up with a vengeance on April 23rd. We must prepare for the possibility, however, that the former champion will once again be pulled away from the action to sort out his legal issues, forcing the UFC into a scramble to find Cormier a suitable replacement opponent on just a few weeks' notice.

So, in this event, who might get the call to replace Jones and fight Cormier for the light heavyweight strap? Well, logic suggests there are really only three choices: Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, Alexander Gustafsson, and Glover Teixeira, who respectively hold the number two, three, and four spots in the light heavyweight rankings. Which of these men deserves this hypothetical opportunity the most, however, is surprisingly difficult to discern, as the arguments against each man's shot are as clear as the arguments for.

Let's start with Rumble.

In early 2015, Jon Jones was stripped of his light heavyweight title, leaving Rumble and Cormier to fight for the vacant belt. And though Rumble nearly took Cormier's head off with a first-round punch, he ultimately succumbed to a third-round rear-naked choke, failing to earn the crown in the process. Considering this fairly decisive loss is still less than a year away, it's easy to understand why some fans might be opposed to Rumble's being given another fight with Cormier.

Since that loss, however, Rumble has rebounded with savage knockouts over Jimi Manuwa and Ryan Bader which, when combined with his 2015 TKO of Alexander Gustafsson, make it difficult to refute that he's the best light heavyweight on earth not named Daniel Cormier or Jon Jones. Yes, as the division's number-two ranked fighter, his being the man to replace an absent Jones makes plenty of sense, even in spite of his recent loss to Cormier. From a rankings standpoint, nobody deserves this hypothetical shot more, and according to Rumble's training partner Kamaru Usman, Rumble is already training for this possibility. Of course, there is far more to the UFC's matchmaking strategy than rankings alone, and so Rumble may well be passed over in the hunt for a potential Jon Jones replacement.

In such an event, the honor might go to Alexander Gustafsson. Granted, Gustafsson lost to Cormier even more recently than Rumble did, coming up short in an October 2015 title bid. The circumstances of the Swede's loss to the champ, however, were much different. Where Rumble was choked out by Cormier, Gustafsson fought him, tooth-and-nail, for five frenzied rounds, ultimately losing a split decision that many fans believe should have gone his way. So, while Gustafsson's loss to Cormier is still visible in the rear-view, it was competitive—and exciting enough—that a rematch would certainly be warranted. Really, a rematch could have been arranged for the day after the pair's first fight, and nobody would have complained. The fight was that close, and that good.

Then again, Gustafsson's razor-thin loss to Cormier was preceded by a TKO loss to Rumble, leaving him at a tough 1-2 in his last 3. Given this, it's easy to understand why the UFC might choose somebody else in the hunt for a Jones replacement. This brings us to Brazil's Glover Teixeira, who once resided amongst the most hyped fighters in the UFC.

Despite losing his long-awaited title shot against Jon Jones, and being out-grappled by current Bellator star Phil Davis in his next bout, the Brazilian powerhouse has rebounded nicely with a pair of stoppages over Ovince St. Preux and Patrick Cummins, re-establishing himself as a bona-fide, top-five light heavyweight as he did so. Of course, Teixeira currently sits below both Rumble and Gustafsson in the divisional rankings—and rightly so. Considering this alone, it seems as though he would quickly be eliminated from the pool of potential Jon Jones replacements. Teixeira does, however, possess a key bit of ammunition that neither Rumble nor Gustafsson can claim: he has not yet fought Daniel Cormier. Yes, in the event that Jones is forced to withdraw from the UFC 197 main event, Teixeira is the only of Jones' logical replacements that is both top-ranked, and a fresh opponent for Cormier. Sure, he's currently scheduled for an April 16 fight with Rashad Evans, but the UFC would probably be quick to nix this plan if Teixeira was deemed the best choice for a Jones substitute.

At the end of the day, of course, it's hard to say which of these fighters would be the best choice if the worst were to happen, and Jon Jones were to be forced out of the UFC 197 main event. And really, whether it was Rumble, Gustafsson, or Teixeira that got this hypothetical call, there would be plenty of naysayers, fervently crying that the shot should have gone to somebody else. The good news, however, is that should Jones' legal woes yank him from UFC 197, we have three compelling replacements available, and three is certainly better than none. Whatever happens to Jones in the coming days, all is not lost in the light heavyweight division.