Uriah Hall was nothing but class in the fallout of his late-notice scratch from UFC 249 due to Ronaldo Souza’s positive coronavirus test.
After already having their planned middleweight bout postponed from April 18 due to the global pandemic, Hall lost out on one of the biggest fights of his career when Souza’s pre-fight test for COVID-19 came back positive, along with two of his cornermen, Friday night.
The bout immediately was pulled from the card, and although the event will still proceed, according to the UFC, Hall will not get the chance to step in the octagon.
He expressed his disappointment on the situation and sent well wishes to “Jacare” over social media (via Twitter).
Brother I know it sucks I’m sorry you have to go through this I am beyond devastated for the missed opportunity I wish you nothing but recovery for you and your family.
Hall trained in isolation for UFC 249. He slept on an air mattress inside the Fortis MMA Gym in Texas, doing virtual training sessions with his head coach Sayif Saud in preparation for a key moment in his career.
Hall won’t get the chance to fulfill that moment, though, and now it remains to be seen what’s next for “The Ultimate Fighter 17” finalist.
With Hall (15-9 MMA, 8-7 UFC) vs. Souza (26-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) off, UFC 249 will proceed with 11 bouts. The event takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.
'Beyond devastated' Uriah Hall sends classy message to 'Jacare' Souza after positive COVID-19 test