T.J. Brown Details UFC 249 COVID-19 Testing

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Serving as a cornerman at UFC 249 for his teammate Bryce Mitchell, T.J. Brown had to endure the same protocols and COVID-19 advance testing as the fighters on the card. That includes the now-infamous giant cotton swab up the nose that seems to be just as painful as it looks.

“Oh my gosh, it was awful man,” Brown told Sherdog with a laugh. “They stick that swab about six inches up your nose, and twist it about four or five times. It’s painful. The nurse there told a lie and said it just tickles a bit. They also did a blood test as well [and] luckily, I’m corona free. But that’s to be expected with everything going on. It’s nice to know we’re going in to a clean environment. They are doing everything they can to keep things as spick and span as they can.”

Along with talking about what he has encountered when it comes to the UFC keeping the site of the event as sterile and safe as possible, Brown talked about Mitchell’s bout against UFC veteran Charles Rosa inside Jacksonville’s Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena. He also spoke on why he likes the matchup for his fellow Arkansas native, and why he could see the two gifted grapplers instead going to war on the feet. Plus, he talked about his UFC debut in February and how the loss impacted his son even more than him, and when he hopes to return to the Octagon.