Third time’s the charm?
After COVID reared its ugly head multiple times, it seemed the fight between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev was beginning to feel lost, however, Dana White recently confirmed to MMA Junkie that the welterweight contender fight has been rebooked for a main event slot on March 13th. The location of this card is yet to be confirmed.
The fight was originally slated to happen on December 19th but was cancelled after Edwards tested positive for COVID-19 and was reported to have lost 12 pounds because of the illness. The bout was rebooked for January 20th but was cancelled yet again, this time after Chimaev was deemed unfit from doctors after showing effects from a prior positive test back in early December.
Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev last fought in September where he knocked out Gerald Meerschaert in 17 seconds. The Chechen-born fighter is riding an immense momentum coming into 2021 after exploding onto the world stage in the summer of 2020 where he dominated John Phillips then fought 10 days later to defeat Rhys McKee, absorbing just two strikes from both fights. All three UFC victories have earned him a hat-trick performance of the night bonuses.
Edwards
Currently riding an 8-fight win streak, Leon Edwards last fought in July 2019 where he defeated Rafael Dos Anjos via unanimous decision. The Birmingham born fighter has not lost since 2015 when he was then defeated on the scorecards by current UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. No other fighter has been affected by the pandemic as much as the British-Jamaican fighter as he was originally set to fight Tyron Woodley back in March 2020 in a UFC London headliner. The event was one of the first UFC shows to be cancelled due to the pandemic. Edwards will be eager to get back in the Octagon after going more than a year and a half without a fight.
The current lineup for UFC Fight Night on March 13th includes:
- Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev
- Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Ciryl Gane
- Davey Grant vs. Jonathan Martinez
- Matthew Semelsberger vs. Jason Witt
- Jinh Yu Frey vs. Gloria de Paula
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