Covid is continuing to wreak havoc as hot prospect Khamzat Chimaev is the latest fighter to test positive for the virus, putting his highly-anticipated bout with Leon Edwards in serious jeopardy.
The news is another hammer blow to the UFC’s plans after the scheduled main event for this weekend’s card between Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis was postponed due to Blaydes testing positive for the virus.
At the time of writing, it’s unclear whether Chimaev will be forced off the card or not. With the proposed bout with Edwards still more than three weeks away, word has it there may be time for him to shake off the virus and test negative, although the clock is certainly not on his side. It’s also unclear how the positive test will affect his training as Chimaev will be forced to self-isolate for a fortnight, but sources close to the situation say the Swedish-Russian fighter is doing all he can to stay on the card.
The UFC’s stance on the issue is also unclear, although it wouldn’t be surprising if they pulled him from the card and found a replacement for Edwards. Banking on him clearing the virus from his system in 20 days might be too big a risk, so it might make more sense to find a replacement sooner rather than later.
Despite the main event being in danger, the card is still stacked with incredible star power including a tussle between Stephen Thompson and Geoff Neal, a tasty bantamweight clash between Marlon Moraes and Rob Font, as well as the return of Jose Aldo who looks to bounce back from a defeat to current 135lbs champion Petr Yan in his last outing.
With such a star-studded line-up, the UFC won’t be too worried if the main event is scratched, although it’ll be disappointing as fight fans were excited to see Chimaev take on his first big test in Edwards.