Rest up Khamzat, i’m sure ill see you soon.
But I want to fight January 20th on the island @danawhite
@seanshelby
@ufc lets
make it happen— Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma)
December 29, 2020
Khamzat
Chimaev needed more time to recover after battling COVID-19,
and that led to his exit from the
UFC on ESPN 20 headliner.
MMAjunkie.com was first to report that Chimaev’s lungs hadn’t
fully healed after testing positive for the coronavirus in early
December, an issue that was hindering his training as he prepared
to face Leon
Edwards on Jan. 20 in Abu Dhabi.
“Khamzat had coronavirus and when he went back to gym, his lungs
did not recover 100 percent,” wrote Chimaev’s manager, Ali
Abdelaziz, in a statement to ESPN.
“He needs time for his lungs to recover, and right now it’s about
taking that necessary time.”
Chimaev and Edwards were initially scheduled to meet in the UFC
Fight Night 183 headliner on Dec. 19, but Edwards’ own struggles
with COVID-19 led to the cancellation of that bout. It’s currently
unclear if Edwards will remain on the UFC on ESPN 20 card against a
new opponent.