UFC 256 loses undercard fight after Jared Vanderaa tests positive for COVID-19

A heavyweight fight between Sergey Spivak and Jared Vanderaa, scheduled for the UFC 256 undercard, has been cancelled after the latter tested positive for COVID-19.

News of this bout’s cancellation—the 11th fight cancellation this card has experienced— was first reported by MMA Junkie.

UFC 256 was set to serve as Vanderaa’s UFC debut. The heavyweight earned a contract with the promotion on a recent episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, and actually called for a fight with Spivak in his post-fight interview with Laura Sanko. Regrettably, he’ll have to wait for that opportunity.

It’s currently unclear whether a replacement for Spivak is being sought, or if the Vanderaa fight will simply be rescheduled.

Vanderaa, the former heavyweight champion of South African MMA promotion EFC, would have stepped into the cage this weekend with an 11-4 overall record, highlighted by wins over Ruan Potts and Tony Lopez. Spivak, on the other hand, is 11-2. In his last fight, he rebounded from a decision loss to Marcin Tybura with a win over Carlos Felipe. Other highlights of his impressive resume include triumphs over Tai Tuivasa, Tony Lopez, and Travis Fulton.

Here’s what the UFC 256 lineup looks like without this Vanderaa vs. Spivak fight.

UFC 256 Main Card | 10:00 pm ET on PPV

• Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno
• Tony Ferguson vs. Charles Oliveira
• Rafael Fiziev vs. Renato Moicano
• Kevin Holland vs. Ronaldo Souza
• Junior Dos Santos vs. Ciryl Gane

UFC 256 Main Card | 8:00 pm ET on ESPN+, ESPN2

• Daniel Pineda vs. Cub Swanson
• Mackenzie Dern vs. Virna Jandiroba
• Billy Quarantillo vs. Gavin Tucker
• Tecia Torres vs. Sam Hughes

UFC 256 Main Card | 8:00 pm ET on ESPN+, ESPN2

• Serghei Spivac vs. TBA
• Peter Barrett vs. Chase Hooper

What are your thoughts on the lineup for this weekend’s UFC card? Will you be tuning in?