Armen Petrosyan had to withdraw from his scheduled fight against Rodolfo Vieira in UFC Sao Paulo due to an illness, potentially a virus he caught backstage, and it is unclear if the matchup will be rescheduled.
Rodolfo Vieira and Armen Petrosyan’s scheduled middleweight bout in Brazil on Saturday did not take place as planned. Prior to the main card broadcast of UFC Sao Paulo, it was announced that Petrosyan had been forced to withdraw from the fight due to an illness. It is believed that Petrosyan may have contracted a virus backstage.
In a statement released by Petrosyan’s manager, Brian Butler-Au, he explained the unfortunate situation. Petrosyan caught a virus or something backstage, forcing him to pull out of the fight in UFC Sao Paulo. Butler-Au also mentioned that the UFC is committed to getting Petrosyan back in the octagon as soon as he is cleared.
At this time, it is uncertain whether the matchmakers will reschedule the bout between Vieira and Petrosyan for a later date. However, the main card of the event was rearranged, with a 165-pound catchweight bout between Elves Brener and Kaynan Kruschewsky taking the place of the previously scheduled bout.
Vieira, with a 4-2 record in the octagon, entered the event hoping to build a win streak following his submission victory over Cody Brundage in April. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert has an impressive track record, securing eight out of his nine career wins through submission. On the other hand, Petrosyan boasts a 3-1 UFC record and recently achieved back-to-back decision wins against Christian Leroy Duncan and AJ Dobson.
While the disappointment of not seeing Vieira and Petrosyan face off in the octagon on Saturday is undeniable, fans can only hope for a swift recovery for Petrosyan and the opportunity for the bout to be rescheduled in the near future.