Tate tests positive for COVID-19, headliner against Vieira postponed

Tate returned from retirement earlier this year and hoped to make a quick turnaround. 

Miesha Tate is no longer fighting Ketlen Vieira in October as the former bantamweight champion tested positive for COVID-19.

Marcelo Alonso and Tristen Critchfield of Sherdog reported the news on Wednesday. The report was confirmed by the manager of ‘Cupcake’, Josh Jones, who told Marc Raimondi of ESPN that Tate is “doing OK” and expects the fight with Vieira to be rescheduled for another date.

Tate ended a five-year retirement and returned to the Octagon earlier this year at UFC on ESPN: Makhachev vs. Moisés, where she earned a third-round technical knockout win over Marion Reneau. The win over Reneau saw Tate reinserted into the top ten of the bantamweight division and she said she wanted another fight before the end of the year. The Vieira fight was scheduled shortly after, but that will now have to wait as Tate recovers.

Vieira has lost two of her last three fights. The 30-year-old suffered her first professional loss after she was knocked out by Irene Aldana in the first round of their fight at UFC 245. Vieira rebounded with a unanimous decision win over Sijara Eubanks at UFC 253, but was recently defeated by Yana Kunitskaya at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis. Prior to this current stretch, the Brazilian began her UFC career with four consecutive wins over Kelly Faszholz, Ashlee Evans-Smith, Sara McMann and Cat Zingano.

There is no word yet on what fight will be promoted to the headliner of the upcoming Fight Night event now that Tate vs. Vieira is off, but that will likely be announced soon.