When using preg_replace on a variable in an array, the variable doesn't reflect preg_replace changes

Question

I can't figure out what in the world is going wrong with my code.

Problem: I'm getting results from a mysql DB, one of the variables returned needs to be run through preg_replace, the preg_replace() works just fine when I echo it out, but when I try to put that variable into the array, it doesn't reflect the preg_replace() changes.

$bl = array(
    'skills' => array()
);

if ($result = $db->query($queryStmt)) {
    while ($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
        extract($row);
        $newdesc = preg_replace("/\<[^>]+\)/","",$Desc);
        $sk = array(
            'desc' => $newdesc
        );
        array_push($bl['skills'], $sk);
    }
};

header('Content-type: application/json');
echo json_encode($bl, JSON_NUMERIC_CHECK);
$db = NULL;

So again, if I echo the $newdesc variable before the array code, it displays properly, but when the array is echo'd out at the end of the script, it doesn't.

Edit: Someone requested the echo response, if I echo out $newdesc this string: MP Regeneration 3 Bow skills used at every blow mentality may be eligible for as much as 3 each additional (but does not apply to a range type)

simply echos out as this: MP Regeneration 3 Bow skills used at every blow mentality may be eligible for as much as 3 each additional (but does not apply to a range type)

And the code now reflects this:

$bl = array(
    'skills' => array()
);

if ($result = $db->query($queryStmt)) {
    while ($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
        extract($row);
        $newdesc = preg_replace("/\<[^>]+\)/","",$Desc);
        echo $newdesc;
        $sk = array(
            'desc' => $newdesc
        );
        array_push($bl['skills'], $sk);
    }
};

header('Content-type: application/json');
echo json_encode($bl, JSON_NUMERIC_CHECK);
$db = NULL;

Edit again: See answer for solution!

Answer 1

Thanks to the wonderful people in the comments, the solution to the problem was simply to use strip_tags() this my friends is a fine case of me being an idiot. Code is now this:

$bl = array(
    'skills' => array()
);

if ($result = $db->query($queryStmt)) {
    while ($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
        $newdesc = strip_tags($row['Desc']);
        $sk = array(
            'desc' => $newdesc
        );
        array_push($bl['skills'], $sk);
    }
};

header('Content-type: application/json');
echo json_encode($bl, JSON_NUMERIC_CHECK);
$db = NULL;

And it works perfectly. I was making a function that already existed, read the documentation on strip_tags() for more info. http://php.net/manual/es/function.strip-tags.php