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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – JULY 20: Leon Edwards of Jamaica stands in his corner prior to facing Rafael Dos Anjos in their welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at AT&T Center on July 20, 2019 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – JULY 20: Leon Edwards of Jamaica stands in his corner prior to facing Rafael Dos Anjos in their welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at AT&T Center on July 20, 2019 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
UFC Vegas 17 on December 19, 2020, has suffered a massive setback as the main event for the card fell out. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani was the first to report that Leon Edwards has tested positive for COVID-19 and has dropped out. ‘Rocky’ was set to face off against Khamzat Chimaev in one of the most anticipated year-end cards.
What’s more, MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn revealed through sources that Edwards has lost 12 pounds due to his current illness. Now, the main event for the card will be a welterweight battle between Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson and Geoff Neal. Furthermore, Bohn reported that the bout is expected to be five rounds. On paper, the card was arguably one of the best for the year, and fans will be disappointed with the news.
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Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev isn’t happening on Dec. 19, per sources. Unfortunately, Edwards recently tested positive for COVID.
UFC is hoping to re-book the fight in early 2021, sources say.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 1, 2020
UFC Vegas 17: The fall-out of Leon Edwards vs Khamzat Chimaev
The Englishman seemingly can’t catch a break in 2020 and his luck continues to shine upon him unfavorably.
Edwards was part of the first event that got canceled due to COVID-19 back in March. He was supposed to face Tyron Woodley at UFC London, but the event was quickly scrapped due to the circumstances.
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LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 17: Leon Edwards of Jamaica rests in his corner after defeating Peter Sobotta of Poland by TKO in their welterweight bout inside The O2 Arena on March 17, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Leon Edwards has been on the shelf since then, and securing a fight against the surging star Khamzat Chimaev was his only option. He’ll most likely lose his shot against ‘Borz’ given the fact that Chimaev likes to stay active. Additionally, it seems as though the path to welterweight glory will further be delayed for the ‘Rocky’ who’s on an 8-fight streak.
Khamzat Chimaev: Where does he go from here?
Chimaev has had his fair share of ups-and-downs leading into UFC Vegas 17 as he too reportedly tested COVID-19 positive. It was reported that despite the positive test, Khamzat’s team had deemed him ‘Good to go’ for December 19. There’s no doubt that he’ll begin searching for a viable match-up in the meantime.
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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JULY 24: Khamzat Chimaev of Czechia poses on the scale during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in inside Flash Forum on UFC Fight Island on July 24, 2020 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Also Read: Khamzat Chimaev Rumored to be COVID-19 Positive- UFC Fight against Leon Edwards Not Canceled Yet
Neil Magny has vehemently been calling out Khamzat Chimaev as of late. What’s more, it seems as though the UFC may grant him the bout. Magny is a seasoned veteran having faced the who’s-who in the company’s welterweight division. The hesitation to book the match-up has largely stemmed from the fact that Magny isn’t the biggest name.
