Major Changes Made To UFC on ESPN+ 34 Card

By FIGHTSPORTS Sep 5, 2020 Last updated Sep 5, 2020

UPDATE: Alexander Romanov vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima is off after de Lima tested positive for COVID-19.

There have been significant last-minute changes made to the UFC on ESPN+ 34 card.

Tonight, September 5, UFC on ESPN+ 34 is set to feature a heavyweight main event. Alistair Overeem vs. Augusto Sakai will take the headlining spot. While all appeared to be good to go with the weigh-ins going down without issue, there is trouble in Vegas.

Canal Combate’s Ana Hissa broke the news that Thiago Moises has been forced off the card due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Thiago Moises out of UFC Tonight after testing positive for coronavirus.

— Ana Hissa (@AnaHissa) September 5, 2020

Moises was scheduled to share the Octagon with Jalin Turner in the main card opener of UFC on ESPN+ 34. Moises was hoping to keep the momentum going from his May 13 submission victory over Michael Johnson. He’ll have to wait a bit longer to step back inside the Octagon.

The hits don’t stop there. Brian Kelleher was scheduled to fight Kevin Natividad. Ray Rodriguez had weighed in to be on standby in case either fighter was forced off the card. Rodriguez’s services will be utilized tonight as MMAFighting.com reports Natividad is out of the event due to undisclosed reasons. Kelleher vs. Rodriguez is on.

Rodriguez is known for his time under the LFA and Combate banners as well as his appearance on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series.