Canada’s Randa (Quiet Storm) Markos drops off UFC 260 card after contracting COVID-19

Canadian strawweight Randa (Quiet Storm) Markos has had to drop off this weekend’s UFC 260 card after contracting COVID-19.

“Hey everyone. I’ve got some horrible news. I got COVID and my fight is off,” Markos said in a video posted on social media. “But the good news is we’re rescheduled for May 1. So 10 days of isolation, then I’m heading back to the gym, continuing my camp and we’ll be back at it May 1.”

Markos was slated to take on Brazil’s Luana Pinheiro at UFC 260 at the UFC Apex production facility in Las Vegas. Now they will meet May 1 on a card headlined by light-heavyweights Dominick (The Devastator) Reyes and Jiri (Denisa) Prochazka of the Czech Republic. Reyes is ranked third among 205-pound contenders while Prochazka is No. 5.

The UFC 260 main event sees heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic (20-3-0) take on No. 1 contender Francis (The Predator) Ngannou (15-3-0). Miocic won by unanimous decision when they met at UFC 220 in January 2018.

There are two other Canadians on the UFC 260 card.

Flyweight Gillian (The Savage) Robertson, a native of Niagara Falls, Ont., who makes her home in Port Saint Lucie, Fla., faces Miranda (Fear The) Maverick and Quebec middleweight Marc-Andre (Power Bar) Barriault takes on Morocco’s Abu (Gladiator) Azaitar.

Robertson and Miranda were supposed to meet Feb. 13 at UFC 258 but the Canadian had to withdraw due to a non-COVID-related illness.

Markos has fought 16 times in the UFC, making her debut in the promotion in December 2014. Markos (10-10-1) has lost three straight and four of her last five, dropping her record in the UFC to 6-9-1.

The 35-year-old from Windsor, Ont., lost a decision to Japan’s Kanako Murata last time out in November.

Pinheiro (8-1-0) is making her UFC debut after posting a first-round KO win in November over Stephanie Frausto in Dana White’s Contender Series. The 27-year-old Brazilian has won her last six outings.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2021.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press