Khamzat Chimaev pulls out from the scheduled fight against Leon Edwards. UFC plans to waive off the idea of another deferral.
Khamzat Chimaev Vs. Leon Edwards, the matchup with which UFC persisted even after two scraps has been called off yet again. The much-awaited Welterweight fight was scheduled to take place on March 13, but as per an update, Chimaev has withdrawn.
According to reports, the fighter is still recovering from the after-effects of Covid-19 and thus won’t qualify on time to compete.
The fight was initially the main event attraction of the December 19, 2020 fight card but Leon Edwards’ positive Covid test result stroked off the bout then. The contest was then tipped to headline the UFC Fight Island 8 event, however, the virus laid waste again, this time victimized Chimaev and hence the fight fell through. With an active interest from the matchmakers and UFC president Dana White, the fight got another deferral, but much to the dismay of the MMA fraternity even the third time wasn’t a charm.
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Will Move On From The Fight
Apparently, the administration has run out of patience and have decided to move on from the matchup. According to Dana White, the chief matchmakers are in discussion to bring in a substitute of Khamzat Chimaev and are figuring out the best possible opponent for Leon Edwards.
While a new challenge is in awaits for Edwards, the fighter however may not make his highly anticipated return on March 13.
Possible Opponents
Leon Edwards is at the summit of the UFC Welterweight rankings and is seeking a title shot, hence an opponent with a similar stature would most probably emerge. So, who could he potentially face?
Over the course of his 15-month inactivity, the fighter has called out Jorge Masvidal a number of times, has challenged Colby Covington via social media, and has received interest from Stephen Thompson. With all four fighters in contention for the title shot, and are waiting for their next booking, it is seemingly a perfect setup for a Welterweight fest.
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