Viviane Araujo is out of her fight with Jennifer Maia at UFC on ESPN+31 due to a positive test for the coronavirus according to MMA Fighting. Joanna Calderwood replaces Araujo for the fight.
Araujo learned of the positive test during the UFC pre-fight screenings. She believed that she had taken the necessary precautions to protect herself but she still tested positive. Araujo limited her training to just two fighters in lead-up to her fight. She noted her training partners tested negative.
Payout Perspective:
Bad news for Araujo who is 2-1 in the UFC. It does show that despite precautions, COVID-19 is an ever-present issue that cannot be taken lightly. Calderwood as a replacement is a surprise considering she was a potential matchup for current flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. Currently, the number 3-ranked flyweight, Calderwood could see this as a tune-up fight in order to take on the champion by the end of the year.
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