Khamzat Chimaev vs. Leon Edwards Planned for Jan. 20, Says UFC's Dana White

UFC president Dana White announced Thursday Khamzat Chimaev will fight Leon Edwards on January 20 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. 

The two welterweights were originally scheduled to meet at UFC Vegas 17 before the coronavirus pandemic forced the company to scrap the event. 

"In a perfect world, if I can pull this thing off, we go to Fight Island again and it's like an international fight week," White told TSN's Aaron Bronsteter. "We're doing all kinds of cool things that week for people to fly in, hang out, party, watch fights Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday." 

Edwards, 29, last fought in July 2019, earning a unanimous decision over Rafael dos Anjos. It was the eighth consecutive victory for the southpaw (18-3, 6 KOs) and gives the No. 3-ranked fighter in his division an opportunity to boost his resume as he looks to challenge Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title. 

Chimaev, meanwhile, is a bit earlier in his UFC career but quickly making a name for himself. Undefeated in nine bouts with six knockouts, the Russian star earned Performance of the Night at UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Woodley after knocking out Gerald Meerschaert in just 17 seconds. 

That came two months after Chimaev set the UFC record for the quickest turnaround between victories. The 26-year-old defeated Rhys McKee and John Phillips back-to-back only ten days apart. 

None of Chimaev's fights have made it to the third round. He's currently ranked No. 15 among UFC welterweight challengers but could find himself vaulting up the list with a win over Edwards.