First UFC Fighter Diagnosed with COVID-19, Lyman Good, Has Fight with Belal Muhammad Rebooked for June 20

Lyman Good, UFC 230 weigh-ins
Lyman Good Credit: Jason Burgos/Sherdog.com

It appears Lyman Good has another important win on his hands: over COVID-19.

Good (21-5, 1NC), a former Bellator MMA welterweight champion, revealed in April that he had contracted the disease. The news came after Good’s UFC 249 bout with Belal Muhammad was pulled from that card. The event was originally scheduled for April 18 in Brooklyn, NY — however the coronavirus pandemic saw the show moved to May. Minus that welterweight bout.

However, some good news for Good: the fight with Muhammad is back on, targeted for the UFC’s June 20 card. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani originally mentioned the possibility earlier this week. Lyman Good himself confirmed the news on social media.

Good previously announced that he was donating antibodies following his battle with the disease, meaning he has beat the virus and presumably has a clean bill of health.

SARS-CoV-2 has spread to every corner of the globe. The resulting disease, COVID-19, can be deadly, with an estimated 340,000+ dead as a result.

The UFC’s June 20 date does not have an official name or location. However, the plan for U.S. based shows is to use the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas. That’s pending the outcome of a Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting on May 27, which will dictate if combat sports in the state open up again. If it were to happen, shows would be closed to the public.

Good will enter the June 20 bout off a third-round TKO of Chance Rencountre at UFC 244. Muhammad (16–3) has won two straight, most recently having submitted Japan’s Takashi Sato at UFC 242.