It appears that Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Ilir Latifi’s ailment will keep him out action a bit longer than he anticipated.
Hours before UFC on ESPN 33 was set to take place on March 26, Latifi fell out of his match with Alexey Oleynik (59-16-1) due to an illness unrelated to COVID-19 claimed by some to be a stomach bug. The promotion went ahead to reschedule the pairing for two weeks later, and they were to square off at UFC 273 in Jacksonville, Fla., on April 9. Per the UFC on Thursday, Latifi will not be competing on this card either, and in his stead will be Jared Vanderaa (12-7).