A long-awaited fight between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev has finally been rescheduled to headline the upcoming UFC card taking place on March 13.
Multiple sources confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Wednesday after UFC president Dana White originally revealed the news via MMA Junkie.
The welterweight fight was originally expected to take place this past December but Edwards contracted COVID-19 and he was forced out of the contest. The UFC then moved the matchup to January and this time it was Chimaev who was afflicted with the coronavirus, which prevented him from being able to compete.
Now with both fighters healthy again, the UFC has rebooked the matchup as the main event for the card taking place on March 13 with a location still to be determined.
The fight will serve as an opportunity for Chimaev to make a massive leap in the rankings after he earned three wins in the UFC after first debuting in July 2019. The undefeated prospect demolished all three opponents to earn the fight against Edwards.
Meanwhile, Edwards is riding an eight-fight win streak in the welterweight division, including victories over Rafael dos Anjos and Gunnar Nelson. Unfortunately, the global pandemic kept Edwards from competing for most of 2020 until he himself battled the deadly disease that kept him sidelined for the remainder of the year.
The fight between Edwards and Chimaev will headline the March 13 card with more bouts expected to be announced for the event in the coming weeks.