Khamzat Chimaev "good to go" amid reports of positive COVID-19 test, will fight Leon Edwards at UFC Vegas 17
The MMA world has been set abuzz by the news of UFC sensation Khamzat Chimaev purportedly testing positive for COVID-19.
However, despite Khamzat Chimaev reportedly having contracted COVID-19, the belief is that he’s still “good to go” for his UFC Vegas 17-headlining bout against Leon Edwards.
John Morgan of MMA Junkie has now reported that Chimaev’s team says the latter is still “good to go” for the fight against Edwards on December 19th. Morgan’s tweet regarding the same read as follows:
“Chimaev’s team tells me that he is still “good to go” for Dec. 19 at this time.”
Khamzat Chimaev has purportedly contracted COVID-19
According to Swedish MMA site Kimura.se, Khamzat Chimaev has contracted COVID-19. Apparently, Chimaev has been suffering from flu-like symptoms, had a fever, and also purportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
One ought to note that neither Chimaev nor his team has provided any official confirmation of the same.
Furthermore, although Morgan’s tweet noted that Chimaev is good to go for the December 19th fight, certain sections of the MMA world believe that it doesn’t necessarily mean Chimaev hasn’t contracted COVID-19.
In other words, Chimaev and the UFC might be expecting him to recover and test negative for COVID-19 over the next few days. Therefore, he'll be able to then compete in his welterweight bout against Leon Edwards.
Khamzat Chimaev is set to compete in the biggest fight of his MMA career
Borz, roughly translating to Chechen Wolf, is the moniker that Khamzat Chimaev goes by. The Swedish MMA fighter, born in Russia, is an extremely talented wrestler, who also possesses one-punch KO power and decent overall striking skills.
Chimaev debuted in the UFC back in July and has picked up three spectacular stoppage victories in as many appearances inside the Octagon. The talented up-and-comer fights in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions.
Chimaev’s most recent fight was a 17-second KO victory over veteran UFC fighter Gerald Meerschaert back in September.
Despite being relatively new in the sport of MMA, having competed professionally since 2018, Chimaev has earned himself a main event spot at the upcoming Fight Night event (UFC Vegas 17) that’ll take place on December 19th, 2020.
On the other hand, his opponent, Leon Edwards last competed in July 2019, when he bested Rafael dos Anjos via unanimous decision.
The Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight has title implications, as the winner could earn themselves a shot at the UFC welterweight title in 2021.