Leon Edwards Tests Positive For Covid-19; Main Event With Khamzat Chimaev Canceled

Another upcoming UFC main event has been struck down by Covid-19, with Leon Edwards now testing positive for the virus, which means his headliner against Khamzat Chimaev on December 19th has now been canceled.

It’s a frustrating situation for the UFC as this is now the third main event that has had to be scrapped in the space of a week after Curtis Blaydes vs. Derrick Lewis and Kevin Holland vs. Jack Hermansson also fell victim to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

However, no one is likely to be more dejected at the news than Edwards, who had become increasingly frustrated over the course of the year that he was being continually overlooked for big fights.

In fact, despite being on an eight-fight winning streak, Edwards hasn’t fought since a unanimous decision win over Rafael dos Anjos back in July of 2019.

There had been some debate with the UFC over who was to blame for his lengthy absence, with the promotion having went as far as to remove him from the welterweight rankings, where he had previously resided at No.3, due to his lack of activity.

Accepting the fight with Chimaev had reinstalled him at the No.3 spot, but now it’s going to be at least the early months of 2021 before he can finally compete again.

Ross launched MMA Insight (previously FightOfTheNight.com) in 2009 as a way to channel his passion for the sport of mixed martial arts. He's since penned countless news stories and live fight reports along with dozens of feature articles as the lead writer for the site, reaching millions of fans in the process.