Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana moved to Oct. 3 UFC main event

A previously scheduled meeting between ex-champ Holly Holm and Irene Aldana has now been rescheduled to headline an Oct. 3 UFC event.

Holm and Aldana originally were supposed to meet on Aug. 1 at UFC Vegas 5, but a positive COVID-19 test for Aldana forced the bout to be canceled. Holm’s management targeted October for a rebooking, and the date has now been finalized. The new date was announced on Saturday’s UFC 252 broadcast.

Upon announcing her COVID positive, Aldana said she was still recovering from the virus and had taken every precaution to stay illness-free during the pandemic. She thanked the UFC and her fans for their support.

Holm most recently appeared in the octagon at UFC 246, when she outpointed Raquel Pennington in a rematch of a 2015 meeting that also ended in a Holm decision win. The former champ has bounced between wins and losses in her past six fights, which includes three UFC title shots.

Aldana is trying to fight her way into title contention with two recent wins bolstering her resume. She knocked out the surging Ketlen Vieira at UFC 245 to jump to the front of the possible challengers for the bantamweight title.

The Oct. 3 event does not have an announced location yet. UFC President Dana White has said the promotion could return to Fight Island in Abu Dhabi for an extended residence.