Junior welterweight champion Jose Ramirez was scheduled to leave for China Thursday, 10 days before a fight against Viktor Postol that has reportedly been canceled because of a health scare.
The Athletic reported Thursday on Twitter that the bout, a mandatory title defense on Feb. 1 in China, is off because of coronavirus, which can cause everything from the common cold to more serious diseases, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
According to CBS News, Chinese health authorities have established quarantines in at least three cities. The outbreak has left at least 25 dead in the country and sickened hundreds of others. An estimated 18 million could be affected by the virus.
The Ramirez-Postol bout on ESPN was scheduled for a resort island in Haikou.
It wasn’t clear Thursday whether the fight would be rescheduled.