Let’s hope third time’s the charm with this matchup. Rescheduled once again, the high-stakes welterweight pairing of streaking division mainstay, Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards, and the captivating newcomer, Khamzat ‘Borz’ Chimaev is now set to land on the promotion’s March 13th. UFC Fight Night event. As of writing, a location or venue for the showcase has yet to be determined by the banner.
Cancelled twice before, Edwards and Chimaev were initially scheduled to headline UFC Vegas 17 on December 19th. — until a particularly debilitating case of COVID-19 ruled the former from proceedings.
Then rebooked for UFC Fight Island 8 on January 23rd. as part of a triple-header return to Abu Dhabi, UAE for the promotion, lingering lung issues from a prior novel coronavirus contraction for Chimaev left him medically unfit to prepare for the contest. News of the March 13th. rebooking was first reported by MMA Junkie reporters, Simon Head and John Morgan.
The victor of an incredible eight straight, Team Renegade BJJ & MMA feature, Edwards hopes to finally make his Octagon return for the first time since UFC Fight Night San Antonio in July of 2019. Extending his winning-run even further, the Birmingham native lodged his most high-profile career win with a unanimous judging triumph over former lightweight champion, Rafael dos Anjos.
With a 3-0 record under the UFC’s banner since his promotional bow just last July, AllStars trainee, Chimaev has been fast-tracked to title contention with a trio of quickfire, dominant wins over John Philips, Rhys McKee, and a seventeen-second September stoppage of Gerald Meerschaert.
With potential title implications for the victor, both Edwards and Chimaev are sure to tune into February’s UFC 258 welterweight title main event between defending champion, Kamaru ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ Usman and Gilbert ‘Durinho’ Burns.
