Khamzat Chimaev's withdrawal from Leon Edwards bout revealed to have been due to COVID-19 complications

Earlier this week, it was announced that Khamzat Chimaev was out of his planned bout against Leon Edwards, for undisclosed reasons.

It appears those reasons have finally been disclosed. Chimaev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, cited complications from COVID-19 as the reason for his fighter’s withdrawal.

“Khamzat had coronavirus and when he went back to the gym, his lungs did not recover 100 percent,” said Abdelaziz.

This is the second time that Edwards vs. Chimaev has been cancelled. The two welterweights were initially slated to headline UFC Fight Night 183 on December 19th, but the fight was cancelled after Edwards tested positive for COVID-19.

The fight then was postponed to the January 20th UFC “Fight Island” event, until the news of Chimaev’s withdrawal earlier this week.

The UFC is looking for a short-notice replacement to fight Edwards in Chimaev’s stead.