UFC 265: Amanda Nunes Removed from Card After COVID-19 Positive Test
UFC Women’s Bantamweight and Featherweight Champion Amanda Nunes is removed from UFC 265 PPV fight card after she tested positive for the COVID-19.
Although she defended the featherweight title in March against Megan Anderson, Nunes was booked to defend the Bantamweight title after a gap of 19 months. The Lioness last defend the 135 lb title against Germaine de Randamie back in December 2019 at UFC 245.
Nunes’ seventh Bantamweight defense was against Julianna Peña. It was Peña’s first title shot since she started in UFC as the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 18 season. Peña is currently at 6-2 in her UFC career with a recent win over Sara McMann. Although at #5 in the women’s Bantamweight UFC Ranking, the win over McMann got Peña a title shot against Nunes.
The report regarding cancelation of the bout came from ESPN. UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell confirmed to ESPN’s Mike Coppinger that the co-main event of UFC 265 is now cancelled after Nunes tested positive.
The current plan is to reschedule the bout for a future event after Nunes gets healthy again. UFC will pick some other fight to co-main event UFC 265 in coming days.
Derrick Lewis vs Ciryl Gane fight for the interim Heavyweight Championship is the main event for UFC 265. Vincent Luque vs Michael Chiesa(welterweight), Jose Aldo vs Pedro Munhez(Bantamweight) and Casey Kenny vs Song Yadong(Bantamweight) are the other fights scheduled for the main card.
UFC 265 takes place on 7 August 2021 from Toyota Center in Houston, TX.
