So we need to talk about COVID impact on fighters. There's something to this.

[moochi]

I think many many more have had it.

Beterbiev as well, so let's see how he performs (he ain't young either)

[Combat Talk Radio]

canelo had covid, did not affect him at all...
i guess it depends if you had the vaccine an also which vaccine.. but dont want to start a debate on vaccines...

Canelo had it before Yildirim.

It's Yildirim.

Saunders walked into a brutal shot - happens. Plus a short camp.

Plant? Damn near took Canelo the distance despite never having been tested.

Which might point to a decline when he (Canelo) goes to cruiser.

[Combat Talk Radio]

I think Teo couldn't stay focused with the layoff.

Fury chose to fight the way based off how he won the second fight.

Porter was getting hit with good body shots

Fury's own dad said he went in the fight injured and sick. He didn't "choose" to eat two-pieces up the pipe all night long.

As far as Porter, Spence wrecked the body CONSTANTLY yet Porter was there all 12. Nah. Don't buy it.

[Inspired]

Povetkin never had covid. Whyte was trying to force a rematch early so povetkin couldnt get abreak. povetkin played the game and got himself time. His ring walk was fake, he was walking completely fine all week in the leadup to the fight. The guy was just toying with whyte, trying to lull him into a false sense of security. whyte didn't bite.

Tyson Fury claimed to have covid. Again he faked it, just to mess with wilder.

Lopez also lied about Covid.

[Tails]

I can only speak from personal experience but I did get the virus late last year and had very minor symptoms but it sort of lingered for a few weeks.

After three weeks I went back to working out and my cardio went to ****. I would get winded quick. The worst part is that almost a year later my cardio has recovered but I can't push the pace I used to without getting winded after about 15 minutes of boxing.

So I think it does take a toll on cardio but it is something each athlete has to find a work around for.

[YoungManRumble]

Didn't seem to affect Fulton at all.

[Clegg]

I remember you spent years demanding Crawford face Porter. Now he's beat him you just make excuse threads about the win.

[paulf]

Nah - Lopez was as sharp and powerful as always, he was just in there against someone who was very talented and pulled out a Buster Douglas-like performance. When you get dropped in the first round, it's going to affect the way you fight. Kambosis ate some shots, but if you look again you'll see he was rolling with the majority of those power shots, which is how he avoided being KTFO.

Porter put on a career best performance against Crawford.

Agree about Povetkin though. It was clear COVID did serious damage to him. Even the UK commentator said after the fight they'd all been concerned, because Povetkin had seemed really off then entire week coming into the fight.

[man down]

MMA guys seem to be doing ok after covid. Many of them that said they had it said they're 100%. Im sure these guys all get the best medical care and would know if they had lung scaring ect.

[E-Thug]

• PEDvetkin catches COVID, recovers but gets smoked by Dillian Whyte in the rematch
• Shawn Porter catches COVID, recovers but seems to gas out in 6 rounds against Crawford, highly unusual for him
• Teofimo Lopez catches COVID, recovers but shows up extremely drained, gassed and lacking power en route to a loss against George 'CM Punk' Kambosos
• Travis Kauffman catches COVID, recovers but looks way off and breathing heavy against Otto 'All In' Wallin (who also caught it and was breathing harder)
• Tyson Fury catches COVID, recovers and wins, but looks terrible doing so against Deontay Wilder in the third fight

So far, the only fighter I can find that was able to buck the pattern was Jamel Herring, when he put on a clinic against Carl Frampton and retired him, only to get smoked out by Shakur Stevenson the next fight in - which may mean that Frampton had one foot out the door already.

Any other fighters you can recall that appeared to be declined after a COVID finding? Which we know causes long term lung damage?

Herring got COVID and looked like crap against Jonathan Oquendo so he doesn't count as a recovery case either. Frampton fight was after Herring looked awful and got the DQ win