Rafael Fiziev has Covid-19! He has been forced to withdraw from his UFC 272 bout with Rafael Dos Anjos in las Vegas this weekend after testing positive.
Fiziev has been preparing for the fight in Tiger Muay Thai and is not the first fighter in Phuket to have to pull out of a fight after contracting Covid-19. He took to Twitter to break the bad news:
I’m devastated to announce that I’m out of the fight. I had a great camp and was ready to put on the show, I flew all the way to Vegas from Thailand just to get sick with covid, for 3 days I’m in hotel bed with fever, bones pain and cough.
— Rafael “Ataman” Fiziev (@RafaelFiziev) February 28, 2022
Fiziev actually made his name fighting in Asia while based in Phuket. He went on to sign for the UFC and won five out of his first six fights for the promotion to establish himself as a serious contender in the lightweight division.
The bout with former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos was set to co-headline UFC 272. Matchmakes are now trying to find a last minute replacement to step in and face the Brazilian.
According to Fiziev he is having symptoms and has been in bed for three days with ‘fever, bones pain and a cough’. It is a big setback for the 28 year old who is riding a five fight winning streak and is currently ranked #11.
