UFC fighters returning from COVID-19: How have they fared?

Bloody Elbow has been tracking the reports of UFC fighters who have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began in early 2020.…

By: Trent Reinsmith | 1 year ago
UFC fighters returning from COVID-19: How have they fared?
Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

Bloody Elbow has been tracking the reports of UFC fighters who have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began in early 2020. That list is up to date and continues to be updated as positive COVID-19 tests come to light.

With over two years of information, it’s time to start making some use of the data it might provide. The below spreadsheet documents the UFC fighters who have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, how long they went between fights, the result of their return fight, and how they have fared in their careers since their initial diagnosis of COVID-19.

Here are some finding we got from those records:

  • The fighters who have returned from COVID-19 have a combined record of 34-35 in their return fights
  • Alejandro Perez went the longest time between his reported positive test and return fight: 365 days
  • Andre Ewell went the shortest time between his reported positive test and return fight: 12 days
  • Total days between reported positive tests and return fights for all fighters who returned to action: 7,459

UFC Fighters returning from COVID-19

Fighter Reported Return Date Return Card Days Between Report & Return Outcome W return L Return W/L
Fighter Reported Return Date Return Card Days Between Report & Return Outcome W return L Return W/L
Johnny Walker 1/2/22 NA NA NA NA NA
Matt Brown 11/23/21 NA NA NA NA NA
Cheyanne Vlismas 11/10/21 12/4/2021 UFC Vegas 44 25 Decision win over Mallory Martin x 1-0
Justin Gaethje 10/6/2021 NA NA NA NA NA
Miesha Tate 9/22/2021 11/20/2021 UFC Vegas 43 60 Decision loss to Ketlen Vieira x 0-1
Raquel Pennington 9/19/2021 NA NA NA NA NA
Dakota Bush 9/15/2021 NA NA NA NA NA
Jim MIller 9/10/2021 10/16/2021 UFC Vegas 40 37 KO win over Erick Gonzalez x 1-0
Antonio Braga Neto 9/2/2021 NA NA NA NA NA
Rani Yahya 7/31/2021 11/20/2021 UFC Vegas 43 113 Decision win over Kyung Ho Kang x 1-0
Amanda Nunes 7/29/2021 12/11/2021 UFC 269 136 Submission loss to Julianna Pena x 0-1
Amanda Ribas 5/8/2021 10/30/2021 UFC 267 176 Decision win over Virna Jandiroba x 1-0
Jack Hermansson 5/9/2021 5/22/2021 UFC Vegas 27 28 Decision win over Edmen Shahbazyan x 1-0
Kamaru Usman 4/22/2021 NA NA NA NA NA
Ricardo Ramos 4/14/2021 5/22/2021 UFC Vegas 27 39 Decision win over Bill Algeo x 1-1
Rafael Fiziev 4/9/2021 8/7/2021 UFC 265 121 Decision win over Bobby Green x 2-0
Hannah Goldy 3/24/2021 7/24/2021 UFC Vegas 32 123 Decision loss to Diana Belbita x 1-1
Randa Markos 3/22/2021 5/1/2021 UFC Vegas 25 41 DQ loss to Luana Pinheiro x 1-1
Alexander Volkanovski 3/20/2021 9/25/2021 UFC 266 180 Decisison win over Brian Ortega x 1-0
Paulo Costa 3/16/2021 10/23/2021 UFC Vegas 41 222 Decision loss to Marvin Vettori x 0-1
Jamahal Hill 3/10/2021 6/12/2021 UFC 263 95 TKO loss to Paul Craig x 1-1
Alonzo Menifield 2/25/2021 3/27/2021 UFC 260 31 Submission win over Fabio Cherant x 2-1
Raoni Barcelos 2/22/2021 6/26/2021 UFC Vegas 30 125 Decision loss to Timur Valiev x 0-1
Jimmie Rivera 2/9/2021 2/27/2021 UFC Vegas 20 19 Decision loss to Pedro Munhoz x 0-1
Marion Reneau 2/3/2021 3/20/2021 UFC Vegas 22 46 Decision loss to Macy Chiasson x 0-2
Raphael Assuncao 2/2/2021 12/18/2021 UFC Vegas 45 320 KO loss to Ricky Simon x 0-1
Andre Ewell 2/2/2021 2/13/2021 UFC 258 12 Decision loss to Chris Gutierrez x 0-3
Chris Weidman 1/29/2021 4/24/2021 UFC 261 86 TKO loss to Uriah Hall x 0-1
Mike Grundy 1/11/2021 5/15/2021 UFC 262 115 Decision loss to Lando Vannata x 0-1
Merab Dvalishvili 1/9/2021 5/1/2021 UFC Vegas 25 113 Decision win over Cody Staman x 2-0
Anthony Hernandez 1/3/2021 2/13/2021 UFC 258 42 Submisson win over Rodolfo Viera x 1-0
Brian Kelleher 1/1/2021 2/13/2021 UFC 258 44 Decision loss to Ricky Simon x 1-1
Khamzat Chimaev 12/29/2020 10/30/2021 UFC 267 306 Submission win over Li Jingliang x 1-0
Jordan Espinosa 12/22/2020 3/6/2021 UFC 259 75 Decision loss to Tim Elliott x 0-1
Aiemann Zahabi 12/17/2020 2/20/2021 UFC Vegas 19 56 KO win over Drako Rodriguez x 1-0
Rick Glenn 12/16/2020 6/19/2021 UFC Vegas 29 186 KO win over Joaquim Silva x 1-0-1
Belal Muhammad 12/15/2020 2/13/2021 UFC 258 61 Decision win over Dhiego Lima x 3-0-0-1
Muslim Salikhov 12/15/2020 6/5/2021 UFC Vegas 28 173 Decision win over Francisco Trinaldo x 1-0
Jared Vanderaa 12/10/2020 2/20/2021 UFC Vegas 19 73 TKO loss to Sergey Spivak x 1-2
Dwight Grant 12/8/2020 4/24/2021 UFC 261 138 Decision win over Stefan Sekulic x 1-1
Karl Roberson 12/7/2020 4/24/2021 UFC 261 139 Submission loss to Brendan Allen x 0-1
Angela Hill 12/7/2020 3/13/2021 UFC Vegas 21 97 Decision win over Ashley Yoder x 1-2
Movsar Evloev 12/5/2020 1/24/2021 UFC 257 51 Decision win over Nik Lentz x 2-0
Alexandre Pantoja 12/4/2020 2/6/2021 UFC Vegas 18 65 Decison win over Manel Kape x 2-0
Leon Edwards 12/1/2020 3/13/2021 UFC Vegas 21 103 No contest vs. Belal Muhammad 1-0-0-1
Kevin Holland 11/28/2020 12/12/2020 UFC Vegas 22 15 KO win over Ronaldo Souza x 1-2-0-1
Curtis Blaydes 11/27/2020 2/20/2021 UFC Vegas 19 86 KO loss to Derrick Lewis x 1-1
Renato Moicano 11/22/2020 12/12/2020 UFC 256 21 KO loss to Rafael Fiziev x 1-1
Felipe Colares 11/1/2020 5/1/2021 UFC Vegas 25 182 Decision win over Luke Sanders x 1-1
Makhmud Muradov 10/29/2020 1/23/2021 UFC 257 87 TKO win over Andrew Sanchez x 1-1
Gabriel Benitez 10/27/2020 12/5/2020 UFC Vegas 16 40 TKO win over Justin Jaynes x 1-1
Cynthia Calvillo 10/15/2020 11/21/2020 UFC 255 38 Decision loss to Katlyn Chookagain x 0-3
Rafael dos Anjos 10/8/2020 11/14/2020 UFC Vegas 14 38 Decison win over Paul Felder x 1-0
Mounir Lazzez 10/7/2020 1/20/2021 UFC Fight Island 8 106 TKO loss to Warlley Alves x 0-1
Alejandro Perez 10/3/2020 10/2/2021 UFC Vegas 38 365 Submission win over Johnny Eduardo x 1-0
Wellington Turman 10/1/2020 6/19/2021 UFC Vegas 29 262 KO loss to Bruno Silva x 1-1
Nate Landwehr 9/17/2020 2/20/21 UFC Vegas 19 157 TKO loss to Julian Erosa x 1-1
Thiago Santos 9/15/2020 11/7/2020 UFC Vegas 13 54 Submission loss to Glover Teixeira x 1-2
Frank Camacho 9/10/2020 NA NA NA NA NA
Kevin Natividad 9/5/2020 10/31/2020 UFC Vegas 12 56 KO loss to Miles Johns x 0-2
Marcos Rogerio de Lima 9/5/2020 11/7/2020 UFC Vegas 13 63 Submission loss to Alexander Romanov x 2-1
Thiago Moises 9/5/2020 10/31/2020 UFC Vegas 12 56 Decision win over Bobby Green x 2-2
Cody Garbrandt 9/4/2020 5/22/2021 UFC Vegas 27 260 Decision loss to Rob Font x 0-2
Glover Teixeira 9/4/2020 11/7/2020 UFC Vegas 13 64 Submission win over Thiago Santos x 2-0
Nicco Montano 8/29/2020 7/31/2021 UFC Vegas 33 337 Did not fight – missed weight 0-0
Giga Chikadze 8/26/2020 10/11/2020 UFC Fight Island 5 46 Decision win over Omar Morales x 4-0
Ovince Saint Preux 8/22/2020 9/5/2020 UFC Vegas 9 14 KO win over Alonzo Menifield x 1-2
Mark Striegl 8/20/2020 10/17/2020 UFC Fight Island 6 58 KO loss to Said Nurmagomedov x 0-1
Ion Cutelaba 8/11/2020 10/24/2020 UFC 254 74 KO loss to Magomed Abkalaev x 1-1-1
Gerald Meerschaert 8/1/2020 9/19/2020 UFC Vegas 11 49 KO loss to Khamzat Chimaev x 3-1
Viviane Araujo 7/20/2020 9/5/2020 UFC Vegas 9 47 Decision win over Montana De La Rosa x 2-1
Irene Aldana 7/22/2020 10/04/2020 UFC Fight Island 4 74 Decision loss to Holly Holm x 1-1
Anderson dos Santos 7/3/2020 11/28/2020 UFC Vegas15 148 Submission win over Martin Day x 1-1
Vinicius Moreira 7/3/2020 1/20/21 UFC Fight Island 8 201 Knockout loss to Ike Villanueva x 1-3
Pedro Munhoz 7/6/2020 8/22/2020 UFC Vegas 7 47 Decision loss to Frankie Edgar x 1-3
Alexander Romanov 7/9/2020 9/12/2020 UFC Vegas 10 65 Submission win over Roque Martinez x 4-0
Gilbert Burns 7/3/2020 2/13/2021 UFC 258 224 TKO loss to Kamaru Usman x 1-1
Ronaldo Souza 5/8/2020 12/12/2020 UFC 256 218 KO loss to Kevin Holland x 0-2
Lyman Good 4/4/2020 6/20 UFC Vegas 3 35 Decision loss to Belal Muhammad x 0-1

A few notes on the fighters who are listed as NA in the table above:

  • Frank Camacho: Camacho was in a car accident following his COVID-19 diagnosis and hasn’t fought since that accident.
  • Kamaru Usman: Usman revealed he had COVID-19 post UFC 251. He did not miss any scheduled fights.
  • Antonio Braga Neto: The UFC released Neto after his positive test. He has not fought elsewhere.
  • Dakota Bush: Bush is scheduled to face Viacheslav Borshchev on January 15, 2022
  • Raquel Pennington: Did not miss any officially booked fights due to COVID-19. Said she was diagnosed in April 2021 and hospitalized twice.
  • Justin Gaethje: Did not miss any fights, mentioned his positive test in passing during an interview
  • Matt Brown: Brown is scheduled to return on March 26, 2022.
  • Johnny Walker: Walker is booked to face Jamahal Hill on February 19, 2022.
Share this story

About the author
Trent Reinsmith
Trent Reinsmith

Trent Reinsmith is a freelance writer based out of Baltimore, MD. He has been covering sports for more than 15 years, with a focus on MMA for most of that time. Trent focuses on the day-to-day business of MMA — both inside and outside the cage — for Bloody Elbow.

More from the author

Related Stories