Jose Pedraza-Mikkel LesPierre bout canceled after manager tests positive for COVID-19
The Jose Pedraza-Mikkel LesPierre fight scheduled for tonight (Thursday) in Las Vegas is off, Top Rank has announced.
The manager of LesPierre tested positive Wednesday for COVID-19, forcing the Nevada State Athletic Commission to cancel the fight as per its coronavirus protocol.
Josie Taveras, the manager, reportedly tested negative when he entered the MGM Grand bubble on June 14. However, he tested positive after the official weigh-in Wednesday. The result was returned Thursday morning.
The Pedraza-LesPierre fight reportedly will be rescheduled. Meanwhile, the co-feature between Gabriel Flores and Josec Ruiz has been elevated to the main event tonight.
“We had no choice in the matter because this is the commission’s protocol via the contact tracing,” Top Rank COO Brad Jacobs told Yahoo Sports.
This is the second featured fight to be canceled in the Top Rank-ESPN post-lock down series. The bout between Mikaela Mayer and Helen Joseph set for June 9 was canceled after Mayer tested positive.
Flores (17-0, 6 KOs), a prospect from Stockton, California, will be fighting in his first scheduled 10-round bout. Ruiz (21-2-3, 14 KOs) is from Honduras but has fought in the U.S. beginning early last year.
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