A flyweight clash pitting Miesha Tate
against Lauren
Murphy has been relocated to
UFC on ABC 3 on July 16 due to COVID-19 protocols.
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Tate vs. Murphy was originally slated for UFC 276 this Saturday.
The promotion announced the rescheduled bout on Monday:
“Due to COVID-19 protocols, the women’s flyweight bout between
Lauren
Murphy and Miesha Tate
is being moved to UFC Fight Night ‘Ortega vs Rodriguez’ on July
16,” the statement read. Murphy revealed via social media that she
tested positive for the virus.
“It’s super unfortunate to get COVID right before International
Fight Week,” Murphy wrote. “But I just couldn’t, in good
conscience, go forward with the fight this weekend and risk getting
others sick. I’m recovering, and will be in fighting shape
soon.”
UFC on ABC 3 takes place at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., and is
headlined by a featherweight clash between Brian
Ortega and Yair
Rodriguez. The evening’s main card airs on ABC and ESPN+ at 2
p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, while prelims are broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+
beginning at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT.
A former bantamweight champion, Tate returned from a retirement
that lasted nearly five years last July, when she defeated Marion
Reneau via TKO at UFC on ESPN 26. In her most recent outing,
“Cupcake” dropped a five-round verdict to Ketlen
Vieira in the UFC Fight Night 198 main event on Nov. 20. The
matchup with Murphy will mark Tate’s 125-pound debut.
The 38-year-old Murphy will return to action for the first time
since suffering a fourth-round TKO defeat to Valentina
Shevchenko in a flyweight title tilt at UFC 266 last September.
Prior to that, the former Invicta FC title holder had won five
straight contests in UFC competition.