Kevin Holland proposes a catchweight bout to Leon Edwards for Jan. 20
UFC middleweight Kevin Holland wants to fight Leon Edwards in UFC Fight Island 8 on January 20. Edward's original opponent, Khamzat Chimaev, has been ruled out of the bout for undisclosed reasons.
Upon learning about Chimaev's cut, Holland went on social media to offer himself to the UFC once again to cover a fight. 'Trailblazer' entered the octagon five times in 2020.
The UFC had suffered a setback with this same bout earlier this year when Edwards got a severe case of COVID-19 just days ahead of the fight with Chimaev on December 20, the last UFC event of 2020.
"Hold up, so am I hearing the UFC Fight Island hotel has a vacancy and needs a real man to come and do work January 20? Call 'Big Mouth,'" said Holland.
Edwards currently competes in the welterweight division in the UFC. If he and Holland decided to enter the octagon, it would probably be a catchweight bout, meaning that it would not be recognised by the UFC rankings.
Leon Edwards has different plans for his fight in UFC Fight Island 8
UFC Fight Island 8 headliner Leon Edwards seems to have ignored Kevin Holland's challenge entirely. Instead, he appears to have a distinct idea for the night's main event.
"Rest up, Khamzat. I'm sure I will see you soon. But I want to fight on January 20 on the island. Dana White, Sean Shelby, UFC, let's make it happen," tweeted Leon Edwards.
"Where that b*tch Jorge at?"
Edwards went on Twitter to call-out Jorge Masvidal for the fight. The two were involved in a brawl at UFC Fight Night 147 after Leon Edwards provoked Masvidal during his post-fight interview. 'Gamebred' had just defeated Darren Till.
The UFC has not issued any information about the future of the Fight Island 8 main event for now. But the promotion seems to have a third alternative in mind.
Neil Magny was listed to serve as the backup for the main event. The UFC could be considering matching him up with Edwards. Magny is currently competing in the same card against Michael Chiesa.
Magny had expressed his wish to fight Chimaev at UFC 256 when Edwards was cut because of his COVID-19 infection. At that time, the former semifinalist of The Ultimate Fighter 16 was convinced he could display performances that would lead him to the title fight.
Would you prefer to see Leon Edwards fighting against Jorge Masvidal, Neil Magny, or Kevin Holland? Sound off in the comments.