MMA: Zahabi out of Fight Night after positive Covid-19 test

Aiemann Zahabi tested positive for the virus in a pre-flight test before leaving for Las Vegas and is symptomatic. PHOTO: AIEMANN ZAHABI/FACEBOOK

LAS VEGAS (REUTERS) - The Ultimate Fighting Championship's final event of the year, scheduled for Saturday (Dec 19) at the UFC Apex, has again been hit by a positive test for Covid-19.

Bantamweight Aiemann Zahabi was withdrawn from the UFC Fight Night 183 card after the Canadian announced on social media on Thursday that he had been infected.

Zahabi was set to fight American Drako Rodriguez, but tested positive for the virus in a pre-flight test before leaving for Las Vegas and is symptomatic.

"It's heartbreaking for me not to be there fight (at) week in Vegas but thankfully, my Covid-19 symptoms haven't been too bad so far," Zahabi wrote in the caption to a video posted on Instagram.

"Wishing you all love and safety during this pandemic."

The Zahabi-Rodriguez bout is the third one at Fight Night 183 to be impacted by Covid-19.

One of the original headline fights, Leon Edwards v Khamzat Chimaev, was removed from the card after Edwards contracted the virus. Another bout - Belal Muhammad v Dhiego Lima - was also cancelled after Muhammad registered a positive test.

The 13-fight card is headlined by a welterweight fight between Stephen Thompson and Geoff Neal.

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