Joanne Calderwood steps in to face Jennifer Maia after Viviane Araujo tests positive for COVID-19
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
Viviane Araujo will no longer fight Jennifer Maia on Aug. 1 after Araujo tested positive for COVID-19, multiple sources told MMA Fighting.
In Araujo’s place steps Joanne Calderwood, whose title fight against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 251 was scrapped when the flyweight champ suffered a leg injury. The news was first reported by Instagram user damadeferromma.
Araujo has experienced some symptoms of the virus infection, but her overall health is good, the sources said.
Araujo vs. Maia was originally booked for UFC on ESPN 12 on June 27, but the company was forced to postpone the match due to travel restrictions for Brazilians caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Maia (17-6-1) is coming off a decision loss this past November against Katlyn Chookagian that snapped her two-fight winning streak over Roxanne Modafferi and Alexis Davis.
Calderwood (14-4) will now step into the short notice fight after earning a split decision win over Andrea Lee in her last outing in Sept. 2019. It’s a surprising move for the Scottish flyweight considering she was expected to fight for 125-pound title once Shevchenko recovered from knee surgery but it appears she will stay active instead with a fight against Maia on Aug. 1.
Calderwood posted on social media earlier in the day on Monday that she had gone through medicals and a COVID-19 test presumably after accepting this fight.
The UFC Fight Night card is scheduled to go down at UFC APEX in Las Vegas and features Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana in the main event.
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