UFC light heavyweight contender Ovince Saint Preux says he wanted to get COVID-19 two months ago so it could get in and out of his system.
OSP fought Alonzo Menifield in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 34 card and knocked him out in devastating fashion in the second round in what was one of the most impressive performances of his career. The fight was originally set to take place two weeks ago but OSP tested positive for COVID-19 and the fight was rescheduled for two weeks later. If you ask OSP, catching COVID-19 wasn’t the issue, it was the timing of it all.
Speaking to reporters following UFC on ESPN+ 34, OSP said that he always knew he might test positive for the virus due to his job as a mixed martial artist and the close proximity he is with others in training. He just wished he had contracted COVID-19 two months ago instead of two weeks ago so he could have got the coronavirus in and out of his system faster.
“No, I didn’t have the symptoms at all (two weeks ago). It’s hard, man. Being a fighter is hard. I tell people sometimes, people are like, ‘Be careful, wear your mask, do this, do that.’ I mean, I’m a fighter. I can’t go into training half-assed. I have to go into training full speed. If I go into training half-assed then I’m going to get a half-assed result when I get in the Octagon. So I couldn’t do that,” OSP said.
“I knew there was a possibility of me possibly getting COVID. To be honest, I wanted COVID two months ago so it could be in and out of my system. But you know, it is what it is. I got the job done tonight.”
These comments from OSP are certainly interesting to hear, but ultimately OSP is healthy and that’s the most important thing. Despite a recent positive test for COVID-19, OSP was able to quickly recover and test negative and get back in the Octagon, where he had one of the best performances of his career against Menifield. It’s the kind of win that should shoot him into the top-15 of the UFC light heavyweight division, where he currently sits outside. Regardless of the rankings, the $50,000 bonus he got for knocking out Menifield should help.
What do you think is next for Ovince Saint Preux after knocking out Alonzo Menifield?