Chimaev off March 13 card, Edwards eyes new foe

Khamzat Chimaev has been forced to withdraw from his main-event matchup with Leon Edwards on March 13 due to lingering physical effects caused by COVID-19, UFC president Dana White told ESPN's Brett Okamoto.

This marks the third time the highly anticipated welterweight bout has fallen through. Edwards was forced to pull out of the Dec. 19 date due to COVID-19, while Chimaev withdrew from the rescheduled Jan. 20 date for the same reason.

White said the UFC intends to book a different opponent for Edwards, potentially on a new date, and return to the Chimaev matchup down the road.

Edwards, who hasn't stepped into the Octagon since July 2019, is adamant about staying on the March 13 card, his manager Tim Simpson told ESPN's Ariel Helwani.

"Rocky" is targeting a bout against Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal, or Nate Diaz on that date.

Chimaev won two fights in a 10-day span during his promotional debut in July before solidifying himself as 2020's breakout star by knocking out veteran middleweight Gerald Meerschaert in 17 seconds in September.

Meanwhile, Edwards is coming off a win over former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos and is riding an eight-fight winning streak. The No. 3-ranked welterweight was set to face Tyron Woodley in March, but the bout was canceled due to the pandemic.