Khamzat Chimaev vs Leon Edwards is off. Again.
The highly anticipated welterweight match up between uber prospect Khamzat Chimaev and top contender Leon Edwards has been reportedly scrapped for a second time.
News comes from RT Sport, which cites sources close to the situation that the January 20 main event “will no longer go ahead.” No official reason has been given for the removal. Swedish outlet Front Kick, who was the first to report on the cancellation, suggested that the issue this time around was from the Sweden-based Chechen in Chimaev.
The bout was first booked for December 19, but it had to be rebooked for January 20 after Edwards tested positive and dealt with tough symptoms of COVID-19.
The UFC has yet to confirm the cancellation, so it is unclear at this point what they plan to do with Edwards and the event that is now without a headliner.
UFC normally either gets a replacement or bumps up bouts to main event status, and this undercard also has two interesting welterweight bouts in Michael Chiesa vs Neil Magny and Carlos Condit vs Matt Brown. This is also part of three planned “Fight Island” cards in eight days to start the UFC’s 2021 campaign, so the change could also cause some shuffling between those events.
Chimaev (9-0) had a great start to his UFC career, quickly going 3-0 with three finishes in just over two months. Edwards, on the other hand, has been on an even more impressive run, winning his last eight fights against top flight competition. Unfortunately, the number three ranked welterweight has been sidelined since July 2019, with this return bout being called off as well.