Saturday’s UFC Vegas 16 loses three bouts just hours prior to event start

UFC Vegas 16 underwent a slew of last-minute cancellations on Saturday just hours prior to the event’s start time. COVID-19 was responsible for the cancellation of two bouts, while medical issue nixed a third bout.

The UFC Vegas 16 fight card is headlined by a middleweight showdown between Jack Hermansson and Marvin Vettori. That bout was already a late shift in the program.

Hermansson was supposed to have faced Kevin Holland at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, but Holland fell out after testing positive for COVID-19.

Less than a week from the fight, UFC officials shifted Vettori from his UFC 256 bout on Dec. 12 into the UFC Vegas 16 main event opposite Hermansson. In a swap of opponents, Holland has been penciled in to face Vettori’s UFC 256 opponent, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, on the Dec. 12 fight card.

UFC Vegas 16 loses three bouts on fight day

Though Friday’s weigh-in should have signaled the solidification of the UFC Vegas 16 line-up, there were three fight day casualties.

“Due to positive COVID-19 tests, the featherweight bout featuring Nate Landwehr vs. Movsar Evloev and the women’s flyweight bout featuring Montana De La Rosa vs. Taila Santos have been canceled,” read a UFC statement sent to MMAWeekly.com.

“In addition, due to a non-COVID related medical issue with Cody Durden, his flyweight bout against Jimmy Flick has also been canceled.”

New UFC Vegas 16: Hermansson vs. Vettori start time

As a result of the bout changes, UFC Vegas 16 will now begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Hermansson vs. Vettori remains the five-round main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The entire fight card will be broadcast on ESPN 2 and ESPN Deportes in English and Spanish and simulcast on ESPN+. The main card begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The prelims will kick off at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.