[autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag] is the latest UFC fighter to test positive for the novel coronavirus.
The Brazilian bantamweight contender is out of his July 15 co-main event bout with [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag] taking place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi as part of the UFC’s “Fight Island” series. Munhoz’s removal came after it was first reported by MMA Fusion that he tested positive for COVID-19 prior to Monday’s charter flight from Las Vegas to Abu Dhabi. The news was subsequently confirmed by UFC broadcast partner ESPN.
Munhoz did not reply to a text message from MMA Junkie requesting comment. According to ESPN, the UFC is trying to find a replacement opponent for Edgar, who is looking to make his bantamweight debut.
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Munhoz (18-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) is the third fighter to be removed from the “Fight Island” events due to COVID-19. Gilbert Burns, who was supposed to fight in the main event of UFC 251, and Anderson dos Santos also were pulled from their bouts after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Munhoz hasn’t competed in a year, with his last bout being a decision loss to Aljamain Sterling in June 2019. The defeat snapped a three-fight winning streak, which included a knockout victory over former UFC champion Cody Garbrandt.
Meanwhile, Edgar’s much anticipated 135-pound debut is in limbo. The former UFC lightweight champ is coming off a knockout loss to Chan Sung Jung last December.
The latest UFC “Fight Island” 1 lineup includes:
- Calvin Kattar vs. Dan Ige
- Frankie Edgar vs. Opponent TBA
- Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Mounir Lazzez
- Chris Fishgold vs. Jared Gordon
- Modestas Bukauskas vs. Vinicius Moreira
- Molly McCann vs. Taila Santos
- Lerone Murphy vs. Ricardo Ramos
- John Phillips vs. Dusko Todorovic
- Ryan Benoit vs. Tim Elliott
- Diana Belbita vs. Liana Jojua
- Aaron Phillips vs. Jack Shore
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