MMA
Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer 3y

UFC Fight Night loses co-main event to COVID-19

MMA, UFC

The UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas has lost its co-main event at the last minute, according to promotion officials.

The UFC announced Saturday that a bantamweight matchup between Rani Yahya and Kyung Ho Kang has been removed from the card. Yahya (27-10-1), who was supposed to appear in the co-main event, announced on social media that he had tested positive for COVID-19 but felt fine.

The promotion initially announced that a welterweight clash between Niklas Stolze and Jared Gooden was off as well, but UFC officials later confirmed the fight was back on. A member of Stolze's camp tested positive for COVID-19, but after contact tracing it was determined by doctors that Stolze could compete.

The event, which takes place at the Apex facility and airs on ESPN and ESPN+, will now proceed with 10 total bouts. It originally consisted of 15 matchups. The UFC was forced to cancel two fights on Friday after former flyweight champion Nicco Montano missed weight and bantamweight Ronnie Lawrence stopped his weight cut entirely.

A middleweight bout between Uriah Hall and Sean Strickland will still headline the card.

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