After the welterweight fight between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev fell out twice, due to both fighters testing positive for COVID-19, UFC President Dana White has confirmed that they have been rescheduled to headline a UFC Fight Night card on March 13.
White initially broke the story to MMA Junkie on Wednesday, followed by multiple other media outlets confirming the news.
The fight between Edwards (18-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) and Chimaev (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) was originally scheduled to take place this past December. However, due to Edwards testing positive for COVID-19, the UFC was forced to move the fight to a date in January which ultimately ended up falling through, again. This time due to Chimaev dealing with issues suffered from his battle with COVID-19.
After not fighting for more than a year due to COVID-19 travel and training complications, Edwards can’t seem to catch a break. He is currently on an eight-fight winning streak in the welterweight division, and aside from the champ, Kamaru Usman, who happens to be Edwards last loss in the UFC, he holds the longest active winning streak in the division. Prior to when the pandemic hit, Edwards was on the cusp of a title shot. With a win over the hyped up new UFC prospect who gained over a million followers since joining the UFC in July of 2020, he can find himself back in the mix to get the next crack at the title.
Chimaev, who finished all three of his opponents in 2020, will be taking a big step up in competition in his fight against Edwards. If he can defeat Edwards on March 13, he will prove that the hype is real, and more importantly, that he belongs at the top of the division.
The main event between Edwards and Chimaev will take place on Saturday, March 13. Location is still to be announced.
