Ion Cutelaba tests positive for COVID-19, Magomed Ankalaev rematch off UFC on ESPN+ 33

The anticipated rematch between Ion Cutelaba and Magomed Ankalaev has been called off yet again.

Just hours before the light heavyweights were set to run it back tonight at UFC on ESPN+ 33, the promotion announced Cutelaba (15-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) has tested positive for COVID-19 and been removed from bout with Ankalaev (13-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC).

The promotion released a statement on its official website addressing the situation.

“Due to a positive COVID-19 test, Ion Cutelaba’s light heavyweight fight against Magomed Ankalaev has been removed from today’s undercard and will be rescheduled for a later date,” the statement read.

After Ankalaev won the original meeting against Cutelaba with a controversial first-round TKO stoppage at UFC on ESPN+ 27 in February, the promotion has made multiple attempted to put an immediate rematch together.

It was first booked for UFC 249 in April, but the entire card was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was scheduled again for UFC 252 on Aug. 15, but was called off when Cutelaba tested positive for COVID-19.

After Cutelaba’s initial positive, the booking was pushed back two weeks to UFC on ESPN+ 33. Cutelaba went through routine fight week activities leading up to his removal, including participating in virtual media day on Wednesday and engaging in a close face-to-face staredown with Magomedov after making weight on Friday.

The promotion did not reveal in its statement details of Cutelaba’s timeline and when the test was administered that returned a positive result. It’s unknown if he’s one of the extremely rare cases to contract the virus twice, if he simply never recovered from his initial positive, or if this result was a false positive.