This article first appeared on DAZN News
The planned UFC Fight Night main event between Khamzat Chimaev and Leon Edwards has been postponed for a second time.
Chimaev (9-0) has been forced to withdraw from the Jan. 20 contest, though the exact reasons remain unknown for the time being. The news was first reported by FrontKickOnline, and collaborated by DAZN News.
Their initial fight date was removed from the UFC Fight Night show on Dec. 19 when Edwards (18-3) contracted COVID-19. The Brit looks set to remain on the Jan. 20 card against a replacement opponent to be confirmed.
Edwards struggled with coronavirus and lost 12 pounds while ill, but appears set to return to the cage after 18 months away. His last fight was a win over former UFC titleholder Rafael dos Anjos, but various issues have kept him out since the July 2019 encounter.
A high-profile showdown with another former champion, Tyson Woodley, was set for the UFC's annual jaunt to the U.K. in March only for the London show to be one of the first to be shelved by the pandemic.
The worldwide travel restrictions forced by the lockdown made a return later in 2020 difficult for the Birmingham fighter, with callouts of Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal getting him nowhere until Chimaev signed up for the initial December date.
Chimaev is part of a significant recent wave of Chechen competitors in combat sports. The 26-year-old picked up three swift wins via finish in as many months, scoring a hat-trick of "Performance of the Night" honors in the process. His D'Arce choke submission of John Phillips and strike-led stoppage of Rhys McKee broke the record for the fastest turnaround between modern-era UFC wins, with just ten days separating the two dominant outings.
Where that bitch Jorge at?
— Leon 'Rocky' Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) December 29, 2020
UFC FIGHT NIGHT CARD
Leon Edwards vs. TBD
Michael Chiesa vs. Neil Magny
Viviane Araujo vs. Roxanne Modafferi
Tyson Nam vs. Matt Schnell
Francisco Figueredo vs. Jerome Rivera
Dean Barry vs. Mike Jackson
Pedro Munhoz vs. Jimmie Rivera
Matt Brown vs. Carlos Condit
Zarrukh Adashev vs. Jeffrey Molina
Lerone Murphy vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade
Vinicius Moreira vs. Ike Villanueva
Manon Fiorot vs. Victoria Leonardo
