UFC welterweight Lyman Good reveals he's tested positive for COVID-19

Photo Credit: Jason Silva - USA TODAY Sports

Inaugural Bellator MMA welterweight gold-holder, Lyman 'American Cyborg' Good, has become the first UFC fighter to publicly reveal he's tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Good, 34, who's won five of his previous seven Octagon outings, revealed to ESPN reporter, Ariel Helwani, that despite engaging in cautionary measures during his training camp for a UFC 249 clash with Belal Muhammad, he tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in his withdrawal from the bout on April 4th.

"With the situation (COVID-19 pandemic) that's going on around us, we did our best to avoid infections and avoid the spread of COVID 19 and all," Good told Helwani. "We limited a lot of my training to only certain people in the gym. Despite my best efforts to try not catching the virus - although I said it was due to an injury, it was because I had tested positive for the COVID-19. As soon as I found out. I let everybody know. It was one of those things where - it wasn't sinking in yet, that it could have been that (the coronavirus)."

"As fighters, we're trained so hard - we're hardwired to train through everything you know if we catch a cold, or there's little nagging injuries here or there which happens pretty often, we're trained to just, fight through it."

Good, who plys his trade under Tiger Schulmann in Manhattan, joined the UFC's 170-pound ranks back in the summer of 2015 and has managed victories over Andrew Craig, Ben Saunders, and Chance Rencountre, between defeats to Brazilian pair, Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, and Demian Maia. The Harlem native went on to explain the effects the coronavirus had on him after he was diagnosed four weeks prior to his withdrawal.

"There was one day where it was just - it was bad, Ariel (Helwani)," Good said. "My body wasn't listening - it wasn't responding the way it does to sparring. I was sparring that day and so, I decided to go and get tested, and sure enough, it came back positive, and I knew something was up. I know my body. I've been through it all - I've been through, a lot of injuries and a lot of other things, but this was different."

"So, unfortunately as soon as we got news, I let my manager know, my team, my coaches, and everybody I had contact with, and unfortunately we had to draw - we had to pull out of that fight (with Belal Muhammad)."

Good began his professional career back in 2005, amassing a 10-0 record. In his highlight moment under the Bellator MMA banner, Good won the inaugural welterweight title via a knockout win over Omar de la Cruz in the first season of welterweight tournament. In his first title defence, Good dropped the title to Ben Askren via a unanimous decision.

Good and his girlfriend have since tested negative for the coronavirus and plans on donating his antibodies to the Red Cross.

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