Diego Ribas, Editor in Chief for Brazil's Ag Fight, reports that Brazilian UFC flyweight Raulian Paiva's coach Ronildo Nobre has contracted COVID-19, and will not accompany him to the fight vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov at UFC 251 on July 11.
Ronildo, who has recovered from COVID-19, still shows the virus in his tests, and therefore cannot travel. Paiva, who tested negative for the disease, will instead be cornered by coaches Fabio 'Pateta' and Daniel Moraes.
“I was going to be accompanied by sensei Ronildo Nobre and 'Goofy'. As Ronildo will not be able to travel, it will be 'Goofy' and Daniel Moraes, who lives there [in Abu Dhabi] and was five times world champion,” said Paiva.
Paiva, 24 won his UFC contract via Dana White's Contender Series, and after coming up short in his first two UFC bouts, then kayoed Mark De La Rosa in Round 2, and is currently ranked #14 in his division.
Brazil has the world's second-highest number of confirmed cases, behind only the USA, and immediately trailed by Russia, India, and the UK.