Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza will not fight at UFC 249 after testing positive for coronavirus

Souza, who was scheduled to fight Uriah Hall on Saturday, tested positive for the virus on Friday. In a statement, the UFC confirmed that two of Souza’s cornermen were also flagged as positive. All three men are asymptomatic and have been placed in isolation after leaving the Florida hotel where all fighters on the event’s card are staying. UFC 249 is expected to proceed as planned with 11 bouts.

Ronaldo “J’acare” Souza has tested positive for coronavirus and will not fight in UFC 249 on Saturday, as originally reported by ESPN.

“The middleweight bout between Uriah Hall vs. Jacare Souza will no longer be on the UFC 249 preliminary card due to one of Souza’s COVID-19 tests indicating a positive result,” UFC said in a statement. “In addition, COVID-19 tests for Souza’s two cornermen were also flagged as positive.” 

Souza had been scheduled to fight Uriah Hall in a middleweight bout on the preliminary card. The rest of the UFC 249 card will go on as scheduled.

According to ESPN’s report, Souza told UFC officials after he arrived in Jacksonville on Wednesday that a family member had tested positive for coronavirus. Though Souza displayed no symptoms, he was tested and placed in isolation.

“From their arrival earlier in the week until their departure today, Souza and his cornermen followed UFC health and safety protocols, including practicing social distancing, wearing personnel protective equipment, and self-isolating whenever possible,” UFC’s statement read. “There have been no other positive COVID-19 tests reported from the remaining athletes participating in UFC 249.”