Neil Magny was the only main card fighter not to appear at the UFC 250 media day. Something that immediately caught the attention of journalists ahead of this weekend’s event.
A bad weight cut was one suggestion. However, Magny weighed in without issue Friday, albeit he was last to the scale.
So what was behind his rather conspicuous absence? A chance encounter with the cornerman of Ian Heinisch, who for a while was believed to have tested positive for COVID-19.
“I almost didn’t even fight this weekend,” Magny said when asked about the situation by Cageside Press backstage at the UFC Apex. “There was a situation that happened at the hotel where there was this kind of confusion as far as the COVID test goes, that kind of thing.” According to Magny, the promotion took the necessary precautions, isolating himself and others until the necessary negative tests were returned.
As to what exactly the situation was, the welterweight didn’t initially say. However, Magny expanded on the subject in virtual post-fight interview with Cageside Press later in the night.
“There was a situation that came up with the COVID test, that almost jeopardized me being able to fight on this card,” he told us. “That was the biggest reason, or only reason, why I wasn’t present during the media day. They had to isolate me and figure this thing out before risking me being around any of the fighters and potentially contaminating one of them.”
Asked if it was similar to the Ian Heinisch situation, Magny revealed that it was actually the same cornerman that he’d come into contact with.
“It was the same thing. It was the exact same guy actually,” Magny told us. For all of the UFC’s efforts at keeping fight teams apart during the week, it was one simple slip up that caused the chaos. “It was just one of those things that, coming into Fight Week, the UFC did a great job of keeping the camps separate. But it was my own negligence where I saw a familiar face, and thought it was a good idea to go up, say hello and be kind of close to that individual. Because of that contact, I ended up having to take precautions later on to not spread anything to other fighters, until the test results came back and he was in fact negative.”
Heinisch, of course, was briefly pulled from his fight with Gerald Meerschaert, replaced by Anthony Ivy. The cornerman in question later tested negative, which saw the middleweight reinstated. Magny’s case, however, flew under the radar. Luckily, all was well in the end. Lesson learned, however.
Meanwhile, on his performance against Anthony Rocco Martin, Magny (23-7) admitted that the fight was “a little too close for comfort for me. I started out way too slow, trying to figure out Rocco’s timing.” Yet while Magny would have preferred to get going a little sooner, he admitted that the bout was “a good learning experience for me.” The unanimous decision victory also leaves the welterweight with two wins in 2020 — and he’s looking to build on that.
When it comes to his next bout, Magny wants to fight as soon as possible, he said. “As early as like August I think would be a good time frame for me.”
