Video: UFC 249 Main Event Competitor Tony Ferguson Gets Tested for COVID-19

Champ Swab Only (via @TonyFergusonXT) pic.twitter.com/4yZlf8gxj2

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 6, 2020

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Tony Ferguson has gone through the uncomfortable process of coronavirus testing in order to be cleared for his headlining bout at UFC 249.

The lightweight contender was required to take a nasal swab upon his arrival in Jacksonville, Florida, as part of the UFC’s updated protocol to ensure the safest environment possible during the coronavirus pandemic. Ferguson later shared the process in a video on social media.

The person administering the test informed Ferguson that it would feel like she was “tickling his brain” during the somewhat intrusive procedure. After the test was complete, Ferguson simply replied: “It felt weird.”

Fighters, corners, UFC staff and media attending Saturday’s event are required to undergo two tests, an antibody test and a carrier test, the latter of which Ferguson shared via video. The nasal swab, or carrier test, determines if a person currently has the virus, while the antibody test reveals if someone has ever had the disease.