via @marbarone
– Deiveson Figueiredo testa positivo para Covid-19 e disputa de
título do UFC está ameaçada | combate | Globoesporte https://t.co/sZ1BwHJR4W— Adriano Albuquerque (@Adrianoreporter)
July 10, 2020
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. The coronavirus has reportedly affected another
Ultimate Fighting Championship title fight. Late Friday night,
Combate reported that Deiveson
Figueiredo has tested positive for the coronavirus. As a
result, he will not be flying to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates,
to prepare for his headliner on Yas Island. With his flyweight
championship affair against Joseph
Benavidez taking place at
UFC Fight Night 172 on July 18, Figueiredo is taking another
test and awaiting results to determine if the first was a false
positive.
The Brazilian claimed that he initially tested positive for the
virus in May, and recovered after going through various symptoms.
Although
scientific knowledge of the coronavirus is still developing, a
person can contract the virus on multiple occasions, but may also
suffer future false positive tests after recovery. Should
Figueiredo pass his second test, he may be allowed to fly to the
event. If he is not medically cleared, Alexandre
Pantoja has already been
tapped as an alternate.
Figueiredo (18-1) is looking to keep it rolling on the heels of a
crushing knockout victory over Benavidez in February. The bout was
marred with controversy, because not only did the Brazilian miss
weight, but the two men clashed heads shortly before “Daico”
secured the finish. Throughout his career, his lone defeat came to
countryman Jussier
Formiga, while he holds a decision win over the aforementioned
Pantoja less than one year ago. The man also known as “Deus da
Guerra” posts a high stoppage rate of 83 percent, prevailing before
the final bell in four of his last five Octagon triumphs.
Benavidez (28-6) had a three-win streak snapped at the hands and
head of Figueiredo in February. In that span, Benavidez notched
victories over Alex Perez,
Dustin
Ortiz and Formiga to earn another title shot. Other than a
contentious split decision loss to Sergio
Pettis in 2018, four of Benavidez’ last five defeats have come
in championship affairs. Benavidez has come up short to Dominick
Cruz in
World Extreme Cagefighting, and twice to Demetrious
Johnson for the 125-pound throne as well.
Should Pantoja (22-4) gain the opportunity to fight for the title,
it will be after winning a single fight in December. Knocking out
Matt
Schnell in the opening round of that event, he put himself back
in the win column after the decision loss to Figueiredo at UFC 240.
Pantoja has never been finished as a professional, and “The
Cannibal” sports a solid finish rate of 73 percent. At the moment,
Pantoja is scheduled that night to face the unbeaten Askar
Askarov, but he would be elevated to the championship bout if
needed.
UFC Fight Night 172 is tentatively topped by a flyweight
championship rematch between Deiveson
Figueiredo and Joseph
Benavidez. Should Figueiredo not be able to compete, Alexandre
Pantoja will step up in his stead. The co-headliner sees a
high-stakes middleweight showdown between Kelvin
Gastelum and Jack
Hermansson.