Khamzat Chimaev withdraws from fight vs. Leon Edwards?

The much-discussed UFC welterweight battle between Khamzat Chimaev (9-0-0) and Leon Edwards (18-3-0) appears to be snakebitten. 

ESPN's Brett Okamoto reported on Tuesday afternoon that Chimaev has withdrawn from the match against Edwards scheduled to occur in the main event of the Jan. 20 show for undisclosed reasons. Okamoto added that multiple welterweights have offered to serve as a last-minute replacement for Chimaev but that the promotion could also reschedule the fight for later in the year. 

Chimaev and Edwards were originally set to headline the Dec. 19 UFC Fight Night card until Edwards returned a positive COVID-19 test result. Okamoto explained at the time that Edwards lost 12 pounds in four days during his bout with the coronavirus and was unable to train. 

Edwards remains on an eight-fight win streak but hasn't competed since a unanimous-decision victory over Rafael Dos Anjos in July 2019. A contest between Edwards and Tyron Woodley scheduled for last March was scrapped when the UFC began canceling events and altering its schedule because of the pandemic. 

Chimaev, meanwhile, has become a breakout star and fan favorite who tallied a perfect 3-0 record in the UFC this year. The 26-year-old defeated John Phillips on July 15 and Rhys McKee just 10 days later, and Chimaev closed his 2020 account by knocking Gerald Meerschaert out in 17 seconds on Sept. 19.