Ovince Saint Preux to replace Daniel Cormier in UFC 197 fight against Jon Jones

Ultimate Fighting Championship light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, who pulled out of a UFC 197 title fight against Jon Jones because of a leg injury, will be replaced on the April 23 card at MGM Grand by Ovince Saint Preux.

Saint Preux (19-7) last fought Feb. 6 at UFC Fight Night 82, defeating Rafael Cavalcante by unanimous decision.

The Florida native last fought on a major UFC card on June 14, 2014, when he defeated Ryan Jimmo by submission. Saint Preux broke one of Jimmo’s arms with a kick in that UFC 174 bout.

Cormier and Jones have built a bitter feud that dates to hostility that erupted when the pair fought onstage at a 2014 news event promoting their 2015 fight.

After Jones (21-1) was stripped of his belt for crashing his car into one driven by a pregnant woman in New Mexico, breaking her arm, Cormier (17-1) earned the belt by defeating Anthony Johnson, and he successfully defended the title in October by beating Alexander Gustafsson.

Jones was reinstated by the UFC and gained the rematch. He and Cormier again engaged in a war of words at a Las Vegas news conference in March.

Then last week Jones received five traffic tickets, including one for drag racing, in Albuquerque, N.M., and was jailed on Tuesday because he violated probation. A judge on Thursday freed Jones and assigned him to anger management and more community service.

UFC officials were still working to gather the details of Cormier’s injury, but reports indicated that he hurt a leg.

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It’s unclear what will happen with the main event for UFC 197, which includes flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson defending his title against former Olympic wrestling champion Henry Cejudo.

Follow Lance Pugmire on Twitter @latimespugmire