Mounir Lazzez has been forced out of what would have been his second UFC fight due to testing positive for COVID-19.
Lazzez (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was scheduled to face David Zawada (17-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) at UFC on ESPN+ 38 on Oct. 17 at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, but the Dubai-based Tunisian has been hit with the coronavirus.
Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation recently informed MMA Junkie of the news but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Lazzez made history in July, when he became the first fighter born and raised in an Arab country to sign with UFC. He shined in his promotional debut, upsetting knockout artist Abdul Razak Alhassan at UFC on ESPN 13, claiming a “Fight of the Night” bonus in the process.
Germany’s Zawada was also coming off an upset of his own, when he earned the “Performance of the Night” bonus for submitting Abubakar Nurmagomedov in the first round at UFC on ESPN+ 21 last November.
The latest UFC on ESPN+ 38 lineup includes:
- Brian Ortega vs. Chan Sung Jung
- Ante Delija vs. Ciryl Gane
- Modestas Bukauskas vs. Jimmy Crute
- Said Nurmagomedov vs. Mark Striegl
- Krzysztof Jotko vs. Makhmud Muradov
- Jessica Andrade vs. Katlyn Chookagian
- David Zawada vs. opponent TBA
- Jun Yong Park vs. John Phillips
- Jamie Mullarkey vs. Fares Ziam
- Gadzhimurad Antigulov vs. Maxim Grishin
- Poliana Botelho vs. Gillian Robertson
- Mateusz Gamrot vs. Magomed Mustafaev
- James Krause vs. Claudio Silva
