A welterweight clash pitting Neil Magny
against Michael
Chiesa has been elevated to the new
UFC on ESPN 20 main event, promotion officials announced
Monday.
The Jan. 20 card’s originally scheduled headliner, Leon
Edwards vs. Khamzat
Chimaev, was scrapped when Chimaev experienced complications
after testing positive for COVID-19 in early December. According to
a release, the plan is to reschedule Edwards vs. Chimaev for a
third time later this year.
UFC on ESPN 20 takes place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and will also
see Carlos
Condit face Matt Brown at
170 pounds, while Jimmie
Rivera takes on Pedro
Munhoz at bantamweight. The main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at
12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT, while the prelims begin on ESPN and ESPN+ at
9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT.
After not competing at all in 2019, Magny went 3-0 within the Las
Vegas-based promotion last year, earning successive decision
triumphs against Jingliang
Li, Anthony
Rocco Martin and Robbie
Lawler. The Elevation Fight Team product is 17-6 in UFC
competition with other notable wins against the likes of Carlos
Condit, Johny
Hendricks, Hector
Lombard, Kelvin
Gastelum and Tim Means.
Chiesa, meanwhile, has emerged as a contender at 170 pounds since
moving up from lightweight in 2018. “The Ultimate Fighter 15”
winner has kicked off his welterweight run with victories against
Condit, Diego
Sanchez and Rafael dos
Anjos. “Maverick” went 7-4 during his stint at 155 pounds.