[autotag]Cheyanne Vlismas[/autotag] still is in the process of trying to make her next fight.
Originally scheduled to face Loma Lookboonmee at UFC Fight Night 198 on Saturday, Vlismas was forced to withdraw after testing positive for COVID-19. But Vlismas already has her next fight booked and will be stepping in for Montserrat Ruiz against Mallory Martin at UFC on ESPN 31 on Dec. 4.
Vlismas (6-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC), who went through some rough symptoms of COVID, is doing everything she can to make sure she’s healthy in time for her fight with Martin.
“I’m still not 100 percent,” Vlismas told MMA Junkie Radio. “My fight is now two weeks away. It’s attacked my lungs pretty good. So basically I’m taking this fight, just trying to heal up, and go out there and do my thing. Luckily, the UFC is working with me. I’m going to go see a doctor on Monday. I’m going to get an inhaler, taking all the breathing treatments I can do. This is definitely one of the craziest things I’ve ever done in my life, but I have all the confidence in myself to go out there and just beat her ass and go home.”
Despite not being fully recovered from COVID-19, Vlismas had no hesitation accepting the offer to step in on short notice to face Martin. The 26-year-old is expected to get tested again and if her result comes back negative, she’ll be cleared to fight.
“I have just a terrible cough and I can’t breathe, but because of fighting, I’ve just been trying to train my lungs back,” Vlismas said. “If I can get my lungs back, I’ll be good to go. Basically when they called me for the fight, with the fight being so close and still being sick, I basically just told myself, if this girl ran up on me in the streets right now, would I fight her? And I said yes. So the fact that I have two-and-a-half weeks to prepare and get my lungs healthy again, it’s a blessing to me. I’m always ready to fight, I’m always ready to scrap, so for me – this is crazy, I don’t know. Basically I’m just trying to heal up, and I’m just going to go out there and have fun.
“I have a COVID test (Friday) morning. I’m pretty sure I’m going to test negative. The main symptoms I had was the head pressure. Obviously the chest was the worst. But the head pressure, the fevers – I haven’t had any of that for almost a week now. So (Friday) morning, I’ll go test and hopefully it comes back negative. If so, we’re in the clear. But I really do think I’ll be OK, and the fact that I have two weeks, I mean – I’m getting better every day. My lungs are coming back. I’m almost back to myself. But hopefully, I pray (Friday) it comes back negative and I don’t have to pull out of any more fights, because it’s not what I like to do.”