A positive COVID-19 test has forced Austin
Vanderford out of a proposed bout against Daniel
Madrid at
Bellator 246.
Vanderford announced the news on his Instagram account following an
initial report from
MMAjunkie.com. Pat Casey has
been targeted as a replacement opponent for Madrid in the
middleweight contest.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to compete for [Bellator MMA] next
weekend,” Vanderford wrote. “I tested positive for COVID (a second
time now). To say it’s a bummer is a serious understatement. But
I’m going to rest up and recover now. I’ll be ready to go ASAP.
Stay healthy and safe.”
Bellator 246 takes place on Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena in
Uncasville, Connecticut and is headlined by a showdown between
Juan
Archuleta and Patrick Mix
for the vacant bantamweight championship. The main card airs on
Paramount Network and Dazn following prelims on Bellator’s YouTube
channel.
The 30-year-old Vanderford is 9-0 as a professional and has kicked
off his promotional tenure with three consecutive triumphs. Most
recently, the Dana White’s Contender Series alum outpointed
Grachik
Bozinyan at Bellator 234 on Nov. 15.