Smartest Guy at the Bar: UFC 197 Edition

The first half of 2016 has thus far kept the Ultimate Fighting Championship in its backyard for nearly all of its major fights. UFC 197 on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas will be the latest pay-per-view event to emanate from Sin City. As the UFC has evolved into a premium product that holds the fight capital’s attention, it has encountered any number of problems with the potential to ruin major bouts, from injuries and bad behavior to performance-enhancing drugs and old-fashioned delinquency. This is the world former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has helped fashion and one he hopes to leave behind at UFC 197.HOW WE GOT HERE: One DUI-busted Bentley, one positive test for cocaine, one hit-and-run and one viral video in which he called a cop a “pig” later, Jones will compete without the UFC light heavyweight title around his waist for the first time in five years. The UFC stripped “Bones” of his championship following numerous transgressions. The 28-year-old turned to powerlifting while serving a suspension and trying to return to the Octagon, where, at 23, he had become the youngest champion in UFC history. Jones is a star almost unlike any other, his off-the-field self-sabotage rivaled only by his in-cage dominance. The last time Jones took center stage to display his brilliance, he foiled rival Daniel Cormier in January 2015 to defend the light heavyweight crown for a record eighth time. Before he could do so again, Jones’ world came crashing down. Cormier capitalized on the void that was left and bested Anthony Johnson to claim the vacant gold at 205 pounds. “Bones” stewed on Instagram and other social media platforms while waiting to be reinstated, and Cormier rather enjoyed flaunting the light heavyweight championship in Jones’ absence. Their rematch was one of the more anticipated fights of 2016, but a leg injury forced Cormier to withdraw from UFC 197. Jones, meanwhile, attempted to rebuild his broken image by showing a willingness to accept a short-notice replacement opponent; he had refused to do so at UFC 151, resulting in the cancellation of the entire event. Enter Ovince St. Preux, who will face Jones for the interim light …

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