The highly-anticipated welterweight scrap between Leon
Edwards and Khamzat
Chimaev won’t be happening on Dec. 19 as originally
expected.
According to
ESPN, the
UFC Fight Night 183 headliner has been canceled after Edwards
tested positive for COVID-19. The promotion is hoping to rebook the
contest in 2021, but a new date has not been finalized at this
point in time.
UFC Fight Night 183 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The
promotion is considering elevating Geoff Neal
vs. Stephen
Thompson to the main event slot, per ESPN. The card streams in
its entirety on ESPN+.
Edwards’ encounter with the virus was a difficult one, as the
British fighter reportedly lost 12 pounds in four days and is
recovering at home. The 29-year-old Team Renegade product has not
competed since July 2019 when he outpointed Rafael dos
Anjos in the UFC on ESPN 4 headliner. “Rocky” was slated to
meet Tyron
Woodley on March 21 in London before that event was canceled
due to the pandemic. Edwards has been victorious in his last eight
Octagon appearances.
Chimaev, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the breakout stars of
2020. The Allstars Training Center representative turned heads with
finishes of John
Phillips and Rhys McKee
within a 10-day span in July, and he returned to action at UFC
Fight Night 178 on Sept. 19, when he knocked out Gerald
Meerschaert in 17 seconds. “Borz” is 9-0 as a professional,
with all of his victories coming inside the distance.