Oliveira’s coach positive for COVID-19, unable to corner him

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It’s a big blow for Charles Oliveira as he will be without his main coach for his UFC 256 fight with Tony Ferguson. Charles Oliveira’s coach, Diego Lima, won’t be …


UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos v Lee
Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

It’s a big blow for Charles Oliveira as he will be without his main coach for his UFC 256 fight with Tony Ferguson.

Charles Oliveira’s coach, Diego Lima, won’t be in his fighter’s corner for his bout with Tony Ferguson this weekend at UFC 256.

Oliveira faces arguably his toughest opponent yet in Ferguson this weekend in the co-main event of UFC 256. Sadly for “Do Bronx” he will be without his regular coach Lima, as he revealed to UFC.com that he has tested positive for COVID-19 despite having no symptoms.

“Since I had no symptoms, and at the same time we’re all excited for a fight we asked so much for, we can’t even believe when something like this happens,” Lima said. “I did other tests, but they came back positive too, so there was no other way out.”

Oliveira (29-8, 1NC) is currently on the best form of his UFC career, winning his last seven fights. All those wins have come by finish, with the last being a third-round submission over Kevin Lee in March at UFC Brasilia.

“Don’t worry,” Lima says he told Oliveira. “Focus on the fight, focus on the goal. God knows all things and whatever has to be, it will be. We will respect it, we will believe it, and we will go for the win no matter what.”

UFC 256 takes place this Saturday at the promotion’s APEX facility in Las Vegas. A flyweight title fight between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno will headline the card.