‘Rocky’ Request To Save Main Event Denied By UFC

Chiesa now, Chimaev later? Not a chance.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight contender Leon Edwards, currently ranked No. 3 at 170 pounds, tried to save the UFC Fight Island 8 main event after Khamzat Chimaev was ruled medically unfit to compete.

Request denied.

“I offered to fight Neil (Magny) or (Michael) Chiesa in the main event on Jan. 20 and Chimaev straight after, but the UFC decided against it,” Edward wrote on social media.

Sorry, but only “Borz” is permitted to double-book his fights.

Magny vs. Chiesa, also contested at welterweight, will instead take over headlining duties for the Jan. 20 fight card, taking place on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi. “Rocky” will return to the sidelines and wait for Chimaev to recover.

UFC Fight Island 8 continues to be hit with positive coronavirus cases, recently losing the middleweight showdown between Anthony Hernandez and Rodolfo Vieira, while Brian Kelleher and Ricky Simon were also forced to put their bantamweight bout on hold.

For the updated UFC Fight Island 8 lineup click here.