UFC: Jorge Masvidal’s coach Mike Brown tests positive for coronavirus – ‘heartbroken I won’t see him win title’
- American Top Team coach Brown did not travel on UFC’s charter flight to Abu Dhabi on Monday
- Masvidal will be without his long-time coach in his corner vs Kamaru Usman for UFC 251 main event on Fight Island
Jorge Masvidal will be without Mike Brown in his corner when he takes on Kamaru Usman at UFC 251 on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.
The 35-year-old Masvidal’s long-time American Top Team coach tested positive for the coronavirus in preflight screening tests on Monday in Las Vegas.
Brown did not travel on the UFC’s charter flight to Yas Island in the UAE. Combate first reported the news, which the 44-year-old American confirmed to MMA Junkie via text message.
“Just heartbroken I’m not going to be able to see Jorge win the world championship in person. Nobody deserves it more than this guy. Nobody has paid more dues,” former UFC star Brown (26-9) later told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.
“Jorge is also one of the most thoughtful athletes I’ve ever met. He makes everyone feel they are with him and a huge part of this journey. The truth is this guy has been honing his skills for more than 20 years and developed one of the highest fight IQs the sport has ever seen.
“As far as being Covid positive, I feel good. The only pain I feel is in my heart.”
UFC 251: Covington bets big against ‘undisciplined’ Masvidal
Brown cornered Masvidal’s ATT teammate Dustin Poirier for the former interim lightweight champion’s win over Dan Hooker at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on June 27.
Gabriel de Oliveira – Brown’s fellow coach at the ATT gym in Florida, where statewide cases hit record levels last week – also tested positive for Covid-19 in Las Vegas and did not travel.
Masvidal tested negative on Monday, before flying to Abu Dhabi on a private jet.
It is uncertain who will corner “Gamebred” for his late-notice fight against UFC welterweight champion Usman, whose original opponent and Sanford MMA teammate Gilbert Burns dropped out of the main event after testing positive last weekend having travelled from Florida.
Three other corners – Greg Jones, Vagner Rocha and Igor Soares – have also been pulled from Abu Dhabi after positive Covid-19 tests, as well as three other fighters (Pedro Munhoz, Anderson dos Santos, and Vinicius Moreira).
