Khamzat Chimaev out of March 13 bout vs. Leon Edwards due to COVID-19 issues

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Leon Edwards has fallen off once again.

The highly anticipated bout between the two welterweights has been canceled for a third time and won’t happen at UFC Fight Night 187 on March 13. Due to lingering issues from contracting COVID-19 in late 2020, Chimaev (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) won’t be fit to compete against Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC).

UFC president Dana White told ESPN about the cancelation on Thursday.

Chimaev originally was scheduled to fight Edwards on Dec. 19, but Edwards withdrew after he tested positive for coronavirus. The bout was then rescheduled for Jan. 20, but Chimaev had to withdraw since he was not fully recovered from his own battle with COVID-19.

At that time in late December, Chimaev had lingering issues with his lung capacity and needed more time to prepare for Edwards, forcing the UFC to reschedule the bout for March 13. Chimaev, however, is still not 100 percent.

White told ESPN the promotion will move on from the matchup while Chimaev makes his recovery. Edwards is expected to fight a different opponent potentially on a new date.

UPDATE: Stephen Thompson, who called out Edwards last year, did so again Thursday on Twitter after learning about Chimaev’s withdrawal – respectfully, of course.

Hoping for a full recovery for @KChimaev !! @Leon_edwardsmma let’s give the fans what they want to see! #3 vs #5! #makessense #Respectfully https://t.co/QXvTMr6RLz

— Stephen Thompson (@WonderboyMMA) February 12, 2021

The latest lineup for UFC Fight Night on March 13 now includes:

• Davey Grant vs. Jonathan Martinez
• Matthew Semelsberger vs. Jason Witt
• Jinh Yu Frey vs. Gloria de Paula
• Dan Ige vs. opponent TBA
• Eryk Anders vs. Darren Stewart
• Nasrat Haqparast vs. opponent TBA
• Steve Garcia vs. Charles Jourdain
• Ricardo Ramos vs. Zubaira Tukhugov
• Ray Rodriguez vs. Rani Yahya
• Philipe Lins vs. Ben Rothwell