Animosity between Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier adds intrigue to news conference

As history has shown, the first contact between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones may not occur at their Saturday UFC 214 main event, which adds intrigue to Wednesday’s public news conference at L.A. Live’s The Novo.

Fans are invited to attend the news conference, which begins at 1 p.m. (doors open at noon). UFC president Dana White will be squaring off the fighters at 2 p.m.

When Jones was the light-heavyweight champion, he and Cormier fought at an August 2014 press event in Las Vegas, as then-UFC publicist Dave Sholler failed to separate the two before Cormier tumbled off the stage and Jones roared in delight.

Their dislike has only increased since, after Jones defeated Cormier by unanimous decision in January 2015, then was pulled out of their scheduled rematch a year ago this month because of a positive performance-enhancing drug test.

Cormier, who became champion when Jones was stripped of his belt in 2015 (and who also serves as a UFC analyst on Fox) has continually launched verbal blows at Jones since and the expectation is Wednesday’s session will be the latest renewal.

In advance of UFC 214 Saturday night at Honda Center, the news conference will also include welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and his challenger, Demian Maia, and women’s featherweight title contenders Cris “Cyborg” Justino and Tonya Evinger.

TOP RANK ANGLING FOR ANDRE WARD?: Light-heavyweight Artur Beterbiev will meet Enrico Koelling in a planned October bout that will surprisingly be promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank after a winning purse bid, The Times was told Tuesday.

The unbeaten Beterbiev’s International Boxing Federation eliminator, expected to be televised as part of Top Rank’s new deal with ESPN, would leave him positioned as the mandatory challenger to unbeaten three-belt champion Andre Ward of Oakland.

Privately, Top Rank has long expressed interest in landing Ward, whose deal with Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports is believed to be near its end.

Top Rank’s stable includes 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Shakur Stevenson, who is managed by Ward.

Top Rank pushed hard to get the Beterbiev bout, bidding $315,000 while the runner-up bid came in at $80,000.

DONAIRE, SCHAEFER ALIGN: Former four-division world champion Nonito Donaire (37-4, 24 knockouts) has signed with veteran Southland promoter Richard Schaefer’s Ringstar Sports and is aiming for a September debut, Schaefer told The Times on Tuesday.

“He’s one of those fighters I like the most, someone who comes to fight each time he’s in the ring, and is never in a boring fight,” Schaefer said.

Donaire, 34, lost his World Boxing Organization super-bantamweight title in November by unanimous decision against unbeaten Jessie Magdaleno.

Schaefer said he expects to place Donaire on a card headlined by one of the three World Boxing Super Series cards coming to the U.S. in the early fall.

“Then, I expect [Donaire] to be in position to fight one of the featherweight champions, such as [Leo] Santa Cruz, [Abner] Mares or Lee Selby,” Schaefer said.

Schaefer said he does not expect an immediate match between Donaire and Mares, who have flirted with fighting each other for the better part of a decade.

Despite rumors that Mares and Santa Cruz may not fight Oct. 7 at Staples Center, as planned, Schaefer said Tuesday afternoon he still believes that rematch will occur as scheduled.

SUNDAY IN BAKERSFIELD: Former welterweight champion Victor Ortiz headlines a Fox Sports 1-televised card at Bakersfield’s Rabobank Theater.

Ortiz will fight Mexico’s Saul Corral, who lost to Josesito Lopez earlier this year at The Novo.

The card also includes 2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas during the televised portion that begins at 4 p.m. (PDT), and Freddie Roach-trained prospect Eimantis Stanionis of Lithuaina.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

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