The clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Leon Edwards was canceled once again.
Chimaev (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) was forced to leave UFC Fight Night headliner on January 20 for undisclosed reasons. MMA Junkie confirmed the news with a person with knowledge of the situation after an initial report of FrontKickOnline.
The duo was initially scheduled to face each other at the UFC Fight Night 183 main event on December 19, but Edwards dropped out after a positive test for COVID-19. His battle with the coronavirus was severe, with the native of Birmingham, England, losing 5 pounds during his illness.
Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who hasn’t fought since July 2019 when he defeated former UFC champion Rafael dos Anjos, had a difficult year of 2020 to say the least. The Briton was due to face former champion Tyron Woodley in London in March, but the UK government’s restrictions on coronavirus forced the event to be canceled.
Edwards’ campaign to compete in 2020 remained unsuccessful, with travel restrictions making his search for a matchup even more difficult. Edwards summoned names like Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington, but ultimately ended up attracting Chimaev on the rise.
Chimaev’s rise in 2020 was unmatched. The Chechen-born fighter snatched the UFC when he managed three dominant victories in the space of three months, making it one of the sport’s greatest chances.
The updated line up for UFC Fight Night on January 20 includes:
- Leon Edwards vs. TBD
- Michael Chiesa vs Neil Magny
- Viviane Araujo x Roxanne Modafferi
- Tyson Nam vs. Matt Schnell
- Francisco Figueredo vs Jerome Rivera
- Dean Barry vs. Mike Jackson
- Pedro Munhoz vs Jimmie Rivera
- Matt Brown vs. Carlos Condit
- Zarrukh Adashev vs Jeffrey Molina
- Lerone Murphy vs Douglas Silva de Andrade
- Vinicius Moreira vs Ike Villanueva
- Manon Fiorot vs Victoria Leonardo