Chimaev to take on Edwards, bout will reportedly headline Dec. 19 card
UFC president Dana White told "The Jim Rome Show" on Friday that rising star Khamzat Chimaev will take on Leon Edwards.
The two will face off in the main event of the Dec. 19 card, sources told ESPN's Ariel Helwani.
Edwards is the No. 3-ranked welterweight. The UFC briefly removed the British fighter from its official rankings Thursday due to inactivity but returned him to his former spot Friday.
Chimaev burst onto the UFC scene by rattling off two dominant wins during the promotion's first trip to Fight Island in July.
He then became the quickest fighter to amass a 3-0 record in UFC modern era history at 66 days by knocking out Gerald Meerschaert in 17 seconds in September.
"(Chimaev) is one fight away from being a massive superstar," White said. "If he can beat Leon Edwards, he's going to be a massive superstar in the UFC."
Edwards is riding an eight-fight win streak but hasn't stepped into the Octagon since beating Rafael dos Anjos in July 2019.
"Rocky" has struggled to find an opponent since his scheduled March bout with Tyron Woodley was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The winner of Chimaev-Edwards will likely be on the short list to be the next opponent for the victor of the welterweight title clash between champion Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns.