Visa Issues Force John Allan Arte From Sept. 12 Bout With Ed Herman, Mike Rodriguez Steps In

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Boom another opponent change that’s five ln the last 4 weeks lol I’m getting ready for somebody on 9/12 ! @americantopteampdx #teamherman #teamshortfuse #gardenoflife #revgear

A post shared by Ed Herman (@edhermanufc) on Sep 2, 2020 at 4:32pm PDT

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Ultimate Fighting Championship staple Ed Herman just wants to fight someone.

On Thursday, MMA Fighting reported that Herman (25-14, 1 NC) will be facing a new opponent at UFC Fight Night 177, this time in the form of Mike Rodriguez (11-4, 1 NC). Herman was originally set to lock horns with John Allan Arte, but the Brazilian was forced to pull out due to visa issues. An exasperated Herman confirmed the opponent change on his Instagram page.

“Short Fuse” has seen five matchups fall through in 2020, with two cancellations ahead of his matchup against Da Un Jung in May and then August. Gerald Meerschaert was set to replace the South Korean in August, but a positive COVID-19 test pushed the bout to September. Arte then stepped up after Meerschaert withdrew again, only to be pulled for an issue related to his visa. The 14-year UFC vet Herman has faced a veritable who’s who of the middleweight division in his UFC tenure, before moving to the 205-pound weight class in 2016.

Rodriguez will be making a quick turnaround, as he dispatched Marcin Prachnio in the unexpected co-main event at UFC on ESPN 15 on Aug. 22. The man out of Lauzon MMA holds 11 finishes across his 11 career wins, with nine of those coming in the opening frame. Earning a roster spot thanks to a first-round flying knee knockout of Jamelle Jones at the first season of Dana White's Contender Series, Rodriguez’ UFC career to date is a tumultuous 2-2 with a no-contest against the aforementioned Arte.

Arte is still booked on UFC 255 for the moment, and he was one of a very small number of fighters throughout organizational history to have two matchups slated at the same time. The Brazilian is scheduled to face Roman Dolidze on that November event, and his opponent is also going through issues as Dolidze displays a constant level of turinabol in his system following a failed test and a suspension. This situation is fairly similar to the one Jon Jones experienced with the substance in the past.

UFC Fight Night 177 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Sept. 12, and the event does not currently have an official headliner. Although Glover Teixeira vs. Thiago Santos was booked for the marquee position, a positive COVID-19 test postponed the bout to October. The co-main event that might be elevated to top billing is a strawweight battle between Michelle Waterson and Angela Hill.