Khamzat Chimaev to face Leon Edwards in UFC main event on March 13

The UFC is hoping to avoid strike three as it pertains to a much-anticipated welterweight fight. 

MMA Junkie's Simon Head and John Morgan were the first to report that UFC boss Dana White is booking a match between Khamzat Chimaev (9-0-0) and Leon Edwards (18-3-0) to headline a UFC Fight Night card on March 13. 

ESPN's Ariel Helwani later confirmed the story. 

The pair were originally scheduled to meet in the main event of the Dec. 19 UFC Fight Night show but had that contest scrapped after Edwards tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to adequately train. ESPN's Brett Okamoto reported at that time that Edwards lost 12 pounds in four days during his bout with the coronavirus. 

White then rescheduled the fight for a Jan. 20 event, but Chimaev withdrew from that card in late December. Chimaev's camp eventually confirmed that the 26-year-old was recovering from a COVID-19 diagnosis around the holiday season. 

Edwards, 29, sits at No. 3 in the official UFC rankings for the division but hasn't competed since a win over Rafael Dos Anjos in July 2019. He will enter his match versus Chimaev on an eight-fight win streak. 

Chimaev, No. 14 in the division, is a perfect 3-0 in the UFC and rose up the rankings with two victories in 10 days last July and a one-punch, 17-second knockout of Gerald Meerschaert on Sept. 19.