Lyman Good admits positive test for COVID-19, says he’s healthy now and wants to fight

Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

UFC welterweight Lyman Good on Monday said his scratch from UFC 249 was the result of a positive test for the COVID-19 virus.

Good, 34, told MMA Fighting on April 4 that he was forced to withdraw from the ill-fated April 18 pay-per-view event due to an injury. But in an interview with ESPN.com, he said that wasn’t true.

“It was actually because I had tested positive for COVID-19,” Good said.

Asked why he didn’t disclose his positive test earlier, Good said he and his management made a decision not to inform the public because “we didn’t wanna feed into the fear, the imminent fear that’s going on in society right now.

“There’s a pandemic, it is a real thing happening. But I didn’t wanna stoke the flames, so to speak, and influence the fear factor of other people. I just want to let everyone know I’m much better now. At the end of the day, it was a risk that we were willing to take. As a fighter, I knew what the risks were. Unfortunately it is what it is. It happened.”

Good said he had tried to limit his circle of training partners to reduce his risk of exposure to the virus while training for a scheduled bout against Belal Muhammed at the April event. But approximately four weeks ago, he said he began feeling bad and his body “wasn’t listening” and “wasn’t responding the way it normally does to sparring.”

Approximately one month ago, the former Bellator champ and his girlfriend got tested at a drive-through facility in New Jersey and confirmed a positive results for both of them. He said one of his coaches also tested positive, though his training partner, UFC featherweight Shane Burgos, tested negative.

When he decided to get tested, Good said it was out of concern for the safety of the people around him.

“I figured let me just make sure that I have it or not,” he said. “Also for the safety for my coaches. My coach was showing up every morning to my training sessions...my teammates, my family, and everybody else. Really, what I held into account was the safety of others.

“My real concern was really just my teammates, my coaches and anyone I was exposed to. “God forbid they get it, they spread it, and someone else gets sick really bad. I would feel responsible.”

Good wants to get back into the cage as soon as possible, but he said he will need a full training camp because the virus has affected his lungs. He said he recently tested negative for the virus in a follow-up test and hopes to work with Red Cross by donating antibodies to help those infected with COVID-19. He also said UFC President Dana White was “extremely helpful” to him.

The veteran welterweight now wants to let the world know he’s ready for a comeback.

“I was out of commission for a little bit, but I’m ready to go back there,” he said.