A UFC fighter has been removed from a card this weekend due to a positive COVID-19 test in his camp.
One of Ramiz Brahimaj‘s cornermen tested positive for coronavirus this week and Brahimaj will no longer be able to compete at UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Hooker on Saturday night in Las Vegas, the UFC announced Thursday night.
The UFC has signed Jason Witt to replace Brahimaj in the bout against Takashi Sato, the promotion said in a release. Witt’s participation will be contingent on his medical clearance from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which will include a COVID-19 test, the UFC said. Because of the late nature of the move, Witt will not participate in the official weigh-ins Friday morning.
Brahimaj (8-2) would have been making his UFC debut in the bout on short notice. The 27-year-old Texas native went 4-2 in the LFA promotion before signing with the UFC. A request for comment from his team was not immediately answered Thursday night.
Witt (17-5), a 33-year-old Missouri native, is on a four-fight winning streak on the regional circuit. Sato (15-3), a 30-year-old Japanese fighter, is coming off a submission loss to Belal Muhammad last September and is 1-1 in the UFC.
UFC Fight Night will be headlined by a lightweight contender bout between former interim champion Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker. The event will take place in front of no fans at the UFC Apex, which is across from the promotion’s corporate campus.