Raoni Barcelos Withdraws from UFC Fight Night 186 After Positive COVID-19 Result

Infelizmente testei positivo para o COVID 19 e estarei fora desse card do próximo dia 27 de fevereiro,em breve estarei em ação novamente!!#deussabedetodasascoisas @ufc @ufc_brasil pic.twitter.com/UVLw8cpwN6

— Raoni Barcelos (@BarcelosRaoni) February 22, 2021

Not long after officially receiving a new opponent for his scheduled appearance at UFC Fight Night 186, Raoni Barcelos has been forced to withdraw from Saturday’s event.

The Brazilian bantamweight announced via social media that he is off the card after testing positive for COVID-19. In a video statement (translation via MMAFighting.com), Barcelos revealed the he and is wife are not experiencing any symptoms and he hopes to fight soon.

Barcelos was originally booked against Raphael Assuncao before his opponent withdrew due to a positive COVID-19 test of his own. The promotion then announced over the weekend that Barcelos would instead square off against short-notice foe Marcelo Rojo. It’s unclear if Rojo will remain on the UFC Fight Night 186 lineup.

A former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion, Barcelos is currently on a nine-bout professional winning streak that includes triumphs over Khalid Taha, Said Nurmagomedov, Carlos Huachin, Chris Gutierrez and Kurt Holobaugh in UFC competition. The 33-year-old Rio de Janeiro native is 16-1 over the course of a tenure that began in 2012.

UFC Fight Night 186 takes place on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight showdown between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Ciryl Gane. The card streams in its entirety on ESPN+.