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UPDATED Ian Heinisch Remains on UFC 250 After Corner's Positive COVID-19 Test


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Editor's note: The article has been updated at 11 p.m. ET on 6/4/20 to reflect the change in matchup information.

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Hours after a fight fell through when a fighter's corner tested positive for COVID-19, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has re-booked the matchup.

On Thursday, MMA Fighting first reported that Ian Heinisch (13-3) was briefly forced out of his middleweight contest against Gerald Meerschaert (31-12). After a change in circumstances, according to Heinisch's manager Jason House, the two are now once again set to square off at UFC 250 on June 6 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

According to TSN Sports, one of Heinisch’s cornermen tested positive for the coronavirus. The Colorado native was temporarily pulled from the card as a precaution, and not because of his own positive test. Following a subsequent test that cleared his cornerman, MMA Fighting reported late Thursday that Heinisch has been put back on the event.

Originally slated to step in on extremely short notice was Fury FC welterweight champ Anthony Ivy (8-2). Although he will not be competing on UFC 250 any longer, according to ESPN, Ivy signed a contract with the UFC so he will make his debut in the future.

Heinisch will be coming back on the card after a lot of uncertainty, and the middleweight will still be looking to snap a two-fight skid. Dropping consecutive decisions in 2019 to Derek Brunson and Omari Akhmedov, this set the former Riker's Island inmate on the first losing streak of his career. Prior to those two setbacks, Heinisch leveraged a Legacy Fighting Alliance title into a spot on Dana White's Contender Series. The fighter formerly with Factory X smashed Justin Sumter to get signed with the UFC, where he went on to take decisions over Cezar Ferreira and Antonio Carlos Jr.

Ahead of the matchup change, Meerschaert posted on his Twitter that he was open to take on all comers, writing, “Everyone take a deep breath, you’ll see me in the octagon Saturday.” The Wisconsin native has alternated wins and losses in his last four, and most recently handed Deron Winn his first stoppage defeat in March. A submission artist by trade, “GM3” has racked up 23 submission wins in his career -- accounting for 74 percent of his victories -- and each of his last 13 wins have come by stoppage.

UFC 250 is set to go down on June 6 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Headlining the pay-per-view card is a women’s featherweight title tilt as Amanda Nunes defends her throne against Felicia Spencer. Serving in the co-main event is a major bantamweight collision between former champ Cody Garbrandt and longtime contender Raphael Assuncao.

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