Top light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira has tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in his headlining bout with Thiago Santos being moved from September 12 to October 3.
Late Wednesday night, ESPN reported that top light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira was out of his bout with Thiago Santos after testing positive for COVID-19. The two Brazilian light heavyweights were set to collide in a bout with major title implications next Saturday but will now fight next month on October 3.
Per ESPN, the test came back on Wednesday morning but Teixeira said he is feeling “100%.” In the same statement, Teixeira’s team said that the rescheduled bout with Santos will no longer be a five round bout but instead will be a three round feature bout. The October 3 card is already set to be headlined by a bantamweight bout between Holly Holm and Irene Aldana.
Teixeira is currently on a four fight win-streak with victories over Karl Roberson, Ion Cutelaba, Nikita Krylov, and most recently Anthony Smith in May. A veteran of the UFC since 2012, his current run is the best he has put together since he first entered the promotion and rode a 20-fight win streak en route to facing Jon Jones for the light-heavyweight title.
Thiago “Marreta” Santos will be fighting for the first time since taking Jones to the limit in his own title shot last year. Santos had carved a path to a title bout behind stoppages of Eryk Anders, Jimi Manuwa, and top contender Jan Blachowicz. Last July, he fought Jones to a split decision in a highly competitive bout that saw him sustain serious injuries to both knees that required both surgery and time for rehabilitation.
The bout between Teixeira and Santos is expected to have major title implications as it is considered a top contender bout for the upcoming fight between Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz for the now vacant light heavyweight championship on September 26. No replacement main event has been announced for the September 12 card.
