Coronavirus: Lyman Good the first UFC fighter to test positive for Covid-19


John McAuley
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UFC welterweight contender Lyman Good has become the first active fighter under contract to publicly confirm a positive test for Covid-19.

The American, who had been lined up to fight on the original UFC 249 last week, announced the news in an interview with ESPN.

A former Bellator welterweight champion, Good lives in New Jersey and trains in New York, the city worst affected in the United States by the coronavirus pandemic.

Good, 34, was slated to take on Belal Muhammad at UFC 249, which was initially scheduled for last weekend at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn. The event was moved and subsequently cancelled following pressure from Disney and ESPN, the UFC’s parent company and broadcast partner.

Good withdrew from UFC 249 several weeks ago, with his absence cited as an injury.

But on Monday, he said: “Although I said it was due to an injury, it was actually because I had tested positive for Covid-19. As soon as I found out, I let everybody know.

“It was one of those things where it wasn’t sinking in that it could’ve been that.

“As fighters, we’re hardwired to train through everything. If we catch a cold or little nagging injuries here or there, we’re trained to just pretty much fight through it.

“At first I thought it was that. But there was just one day where it was bad. My body wasn’t listening. It wasn’t responding the way it normally does to sparring.”

Good, who quarantined as soon as he found out he had the virus, said the peak of his symptoms took hold for about one week, but that he did not need to go to hospital. He said his girlfriend and coach at his gym had tested positive also, but both had recovered.

“The major contributing factor to my decision [to get tested] was the safety of the people around me,” Good said.

“When maybe I thought there was a possibility that I have it, I figured ‘let me just make sure that I have it or not’.

“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. God forbid they get it, they spread it and someone else gets sick really bad. I would feel responsible.”

Good, whose mixed martial arts record stands at 21-5, said he is working with the American Red Cross to donate his antibodies in the hope they can help others survive the deadly virus. As of Tuesday, more than 700,000 cases had been confirmed in the US, including 34,000 deaths.

“Unfortunately, a lot of people aren’t surviving this thing,” Good said. “I want to take this negative and try to turn it into a positive.”

Meanwhile, the UFC has confirmed its next four events – Nebraska, Oklahoma City, Sao Paulo and San Diego – have been called off, either cancelled or postponed indefinitely.

Although the shows were to run on consecutive weeks from April 25 to May 16, the UFC is still believed to be pushing forward with a blockbuster May 9 event.

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Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


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Thursday December 27

Men's quarter-finals

Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm

Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm

Women's exhibition

Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm

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5th place play-off 3pm

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Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm

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Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
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Landfill in numbers

• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane

• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming

• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi

• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year

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Squid Game season two

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

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Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

Teaching your child to save

Pre-school (three - five years)

You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.

Early childhood (six - eight years)

Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.

Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)

Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.

Young teens (12 - 14 years)

Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.

Teenage (15 - 18 years)

Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.

Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)

Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.

* JP Morgan Private Bank