Former Bellator welterweight champion Lyman Good has become the first active UFC fighter to announce a positive test for COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus.

Good (21-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC), who lives in New Jersey and trains in New York, which has been the nation’s hardest hit city during the pandemic, was scheduled to fight Belal Muhammad at the ill-fated UFC 249 originally scheduled for April 18 in Brooklyn.

Good withdrew from the bout several weeks ago due to what at the time was simply termed an injury. But on Monday, Good revealed to ESPN that he actually pulled out of the fight after testing positive for COVID-19.

“Although I said it was due to an injury, it was actually because I had tested positive for COVID-19,” Good said. “As soon as I found out, I let everybody know. It was one of those things where it wasn’t sinking in that it could’ve been that. As fighters, we’re hardwired to train through everything. If we catch a cold or little nagging injuries here or there, we’re trained to just pretty much fight through it. At first I thought it was that. But there was just one day where it was bad. My body wasn’t listening, it wasn’t responding the way it normally does to sparring.”

While Good said the worst of his symptoms lasted about a week, he was not hospitalized during the ordeal. Good, who is based out of Tiger Shulmann’s MMA, noted that both he and his girlfriend, as well as a coach at his gym, tested positive for the virus. Good made sure to inform his camp and quarantined as soon as he knew.

“The major contributing factor to my decision (to get tested) was the safety of the people around me,” Good said. “When maybe I thought there was a possibility that I have it, I figured let me just make sure that I have it or not. Also for the safety for my coaches – you know, my coach was showing up every morning to my training sessions – my teammates, my family, and everybody else. Really, what I held into account was the safety of others.”

“My real concern was really just my teammates, my coaches and anyone I was exposed to,” Good continued. “God forbid they get it, they spread it, and someone else gets sick really bad. I would feel responsible.”

As for why Good waited to make his story public, he said he didn’t want to feed into any hysteria about the virus.

“We didn’t wanna feed into the fear, the imminent fear that’s going on in society right now. There’s a pandemic, it is a real thing happening, but I didn’t wanna stoke the flames, so to speak, and influence the fear factor of other people,” Good said. “I just want to let everyone know I’m much better now. At the end of the day, it was a risk that we were willing to take. As a fighter, I knew what the risks were. Unfortunately it is what it is. It happened.”

Good told ESPN he’s participating in a program to donate his antibodies to the Red Cross in hopes of helping others survive the crisis, which has killed more than 42,000 Americans as of Monday. Globally, the death toll is up to 170,000.

“Unfortunately, a lot of people aren’t surviving this thing,” Good said. “I want to take this negative and try to turn it into a positive.”

Now that he’s turned the corner on the disease, Good, who has won five of his past seven bouts, including a third-round finish of Chance Rencountre at UFC 244 in his last bout, wants to get back to doing what he loves ASAP. 

“I want to get back on a card,” Good said. “I have unfinished business. Like I said before, I’m a fighter through and through. I was out of commission for a little bit, but I’m ready to go back there.”