Gilbert Burns remains in relatively good spirits considering everything that’s happened in the last few days.

Over the weekend, the Brazilian welterweight contender tested positive for COVID-19 and was immediately removed from his title fight against champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 251. Burns (18-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) was supposed to fly out Friday from Las Vegas to Abu Dhabi where the event is taking place but instead was forced to drive home and quarantine. Now Jorge Masvidal takes on Usman on short notice.

Burns arrived from Florida to Las Vegas on Thursday, as he needed to pass a coronavirus test and isolate in order to hop on the UFC’s charter plane transporting fighters to Abu Dhabi. Burns took the test around 4 p.m. local time and stayed in his room as he dealt with a big headache.

On Friday morning, everything went south for “Durinho.”

“The next day I woke up to a call from Hunter Campbell from the UFC,” Burns told ESPN. “He’s the one that gave me the news, ‘Hey, you tested positive. We’re going to run another test and after the second results we’ll go from there.’ Then I was waiting, and Khabib’s dad passed away, so we were caught up in the situation while we waited for results.

“Then I called Ali (Abdelaziz, his manager), and it was hard to get in touch with him because everything with Khabib’s dad. And when we finally talked, he was like, ‘Bro, a lot of people called me. What’s going on?’ And I said, ‘Bro, I tested positive. We’re waiting for the second test.’

“Then later the second test came and confirmed I had test positive, and at the same time coach Jones gets his results and test positive, too. So me, Vagner Rocha and coach Jones tested positive. My brother, who was in the middle of us (on the plane to Vegas), tested negative.”

After being removed from the event, the UFC rented Burns and his team a truck to drive back to Florida since they couldn’t take a plane while contagious.

Burns says he’s feeling good and with no symptoms. He will remain home in quarantine for two weeks. The 33-year-old is not exactly sure how he and his team contracted the virus but attributed it to surging cases of COVID-19 after Florida reopened.

“The thing is that Florida opened up, that was the thing,” Burns said. “In Florida, people are not wearing masks, people are everywhere walking. So I think that’s how we got it. I think the first person that got it was Kenny, a Brazilian coach. After that we got Aung La Nsang – ONE championship champion. And then, a couple of heavyweights, and then it was me. And another guy just texted me; he’s out of an LFA fight because he tested positive, too.

“I just think it’s a Florida thing. We’re not safe anywhere. We have to stay home. I believe the training is going to close … we have to close the gym a second time, wait, and get everyone tested, and then open again. I think it’s not a gym thing, I think it’s a Florida thing, because here it’s all over. The numbers are getting up, and we end up getting caught.”