July 13, 2020 Observer Newsletter: COVID-19 effects on wrestling/MMA, more

COVID-19 and its effect on UFC and pro wrestling continued to dominate the news this past week.

WWE is recovering from an outbreak that caused changes to the taping schedule, a number of rewrites to television and numerous big names taken off this past two weeks of television.

Two of UFC’s biggest fights this coming week had to be canceled due to positive COVID-19 tests of Gilbert Burns, who was scheduled to face Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title on 7/11, and Pedro Munhoz, who was scheduled to face Frankie Edgar on 7/15. In all there were five positive tests of fighters on the first two shows in Abu Dhabi.

UFC was able to put together a last minute deal with Jorge Masvidal to replace Burns, a fight that will have significantly more appeal. However, they at this point don’t have an opponent for Edgar in what was the semifinal fight on 7/15, in what was scheduled to be his bantamweight debut.

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