Positive COVID-19 test knocks out UFC 251 main event
The kickoff to four Fight Island events has already taken a hit as UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns is off next Saturday’s UFC 251.
The reason: Burns, his brother, and another cornerman tested positive for COVID-19, first reported by MMA Junkie. A teammate of Burns that doesn’t fight in the UFC also recently tested positive.
Burns (pictured above) remained positive about the situation in a tweet while Usman has yet to acknowledge the situation on social media.
The team had flown from Florida to Las Vegas where UFC has set up a testing hub before flying people to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It’s expected the Usman-Burns fight will take place on another show, which is why they didn’t look for a last minute replacement to fight Usman.
As of this writing, UFC nor ESPN haven’t announced the fight is off the show.
The UFC 251 main card features two other title fights: featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway in a rematch and Petr Yan vs. Jose Aldo for the vacant men’s bantamweight title in addition to Rose Namajunas vs. Jessica Andrade 2 and the return of Paige VanZant.
The PPV is the first of four July events in Yas Island, the other three airing on ESPN and ESPN+.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.