Dana White confirms Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev rebooked for March 13 main event

After seeing two prior attempts to book Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev fall through, UFC president Dana White is hoping the third time will be the charm.

White confirmed to MMA Junkie that the UFC has booked Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) and Chimaev (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) to face off in the main event of the promotion’s upcoming UFC Fight Night card on March 13. The event currently does not have a confirmed venue or host city.

Edwards and Chimaev were originally booked to meet at UFC Fight Night 183, but the bout was pushed back after Edwards tested positive for COVID-19. The rescheduled matchup, set for UFC on ESPN 20 on Jan. 20, was then canceled after Chimaev withdrew due to complications from a prior bout of coronavirus.

Now both men have been given a clean bill of health, and are set to finally face off in a pivotal bout for the UFC’s welterweight division.

Edwards is riding an eight-fight winning streak with his last defeat coming on the scorecards against current champion Kamaru Usman back in 2015. However, the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic, coupled with some unfortunate luck, has seen the Englishman sidelined for the 18 months. His last appearance saw him defeat former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on ESPN 4 in July 209.

Chimaev, meanwhile, heads into 2021 riding a wave of momentum after exploding onto the global stage with three impressive victories in the octagon. “Borz” defeated John Phillips and Rhys McKee in the space of 11 days to get his UFC career off to a flying start last year, then followed up with a 17-second knockout of Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Fight Night 178 last September.

With the addition, the fight card for UFC Fight Night on March 13 includes:

• Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev
• Davey Grant vs. Jonathan Martinez
• Matthew Semelsberger vs. Jason Witt
• Jinh Yu Frey vs. Gloria de Paula