The welterweight headliner between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev will no longer be taking place.
The pair were set to collide in the main event of UFC Vegas 17 on December 19. However, as per ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Edwards recently tested positive for COVID-19 which means the fight has now been canceled.
The UFC will attempt to rebook the fight in early 2021.
“Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev isn’t happening on Dec. 19, per sources. Unfortunately, Edwards recently tested positive for COVID. UFC is hoping to re-book the fight in early 2021, sources say.”
Recent reports actually stated that Chimaev had tested positive for COVID-19 putting the fight in jeopardy. However, this was denied by Chimaev’s team as well as his training partner.
In a cruel twist of fate, it was his opponent in Edwards who ended up testing positive for COVID-19 which led to the fight being off.
“Per sources, Leon Edwards’ (@Leon_edwardsmma) case of Covid-19 was pretty severe. He couldn’t train at all, and he lost 12 pounds in four days. He’s in the process of recovering at home. Wishing him a speedy and full recovery.”
The good news, however, is that UFC Vegas 17 is a stacked card and won’t suffer too much.
According to Helwani, the UFC is considering bumping up the welterweight co-main event between former title challenger Stephen Thompson and Geoff Neal to the main event.
With other intriguing fights such as Marlon Moraes vs. Rob Font and Jose Aldo vs. Marlon Vera on the card, the UFC’s final event of the year still promises to be a can’t-miss event.
What do you make of this news?