Rani Yahya Announces Positive COVID-19 Test, Withdrawal from UFC on ESPN 28

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UFC on ESPN 28 is down yet another fight.

On Saturday, Rani Yahya announced that he has withdrawn from Saturday’s co-main event bout against Kyung Ho Kang due to a positive COVID-19 test. As a result the card will move forward with 10 fights. UFC on ESPN 28 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight tilt pitting Uriah Hall against Sean Strickland. Yahya vs. Kang is the fifth bout that has been canceled from the card over the course of the past week.

“Hey guys, my fight just got cancelled. I tested positive for the COVID-19 test that was made yeasterday, “ Yahya wrote on Instagram. “I feel very good physically, and I believe that everything happens for a reason. Thank you all for the support!!”

Yahya ended a two-bout winless skid at UFC Fight Night 187, when he submitted Ray Rodriguez in the second round on March 13. The 36-year-old Constrictor Team representative is 12-4-1 with one no contest since beginning his tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion in 2011.

Kang, meanwhile, was expected to compete for the first time since taking a split decision over Pingyuan Liu at UFC Fight Night 165 in December 2019. Kang is 6-2 with one no contest since beginning his UFC career in 2013.