Khamzat Chimaev “good to go” for Leon Edwards fight despite reports of COVID-19 positive test

UFC welterweight Khamzat Chimaev says he’s “good to go” for the Leon Edwards fight despite reports of a COVID-19 positive test.

Chimaev and Edwards will meet in the main event of UFC Vegas 17 on December 19. This five-round welterweight bout between two of the top-15 ranked fighters in the division is one of the most highly-anticipated bouts that fans are looking forward to. It’s the last UFC fight scheduled to take place in 2020, and the promotion is looking for the year to end with a bang as Chimaev vs. Edwards has the potential to be fireworks.

On Sunday, a report from Kimura Crew suggested that Chimaev has tested positive for COVID-19 and that the fight with Edwards was in jeopardy of happening. Fortunately, it appears that won’t be the case. According to MMAjunkie.com’s John Morgan, Chimaev’s team confirmed that he’s “good to go” for December 19 despite the reports out there.

Chimaev’s team tells me that he is still “good to go” for Dec. 19 at this time. https://t.co/xFbFIBxRlF

— John Morgan (@JohnMorgan_MMA) November 29, 2020

Chimaev’s team tells me that he is still “good to go” for Dec. 19 at this time.

It’s important to note that Morgan’s Tweet says that Chimaev will be ready to go, but his team didn’t explicitly deny that he has COVID-19. At this point, we do not have confirmation 100 percent sure either way. In the report, a source close to Chimaev reportedly said that the prospect had a fever and then tested positive for COVID-19. It also stated that Chimaev still has three weeks to go until the fight, so even if he has COVID-19, there is still the chance he could recover and get booked very soon.

The UFC is already talking about re-booking Curtis Blaydes and Kevin Holland for fights in the next couple of weeks despite positive COVID-19 tests recently, so it’s definitely possible for Chimaev to recover and get back in the Octagon by December 19 if he is indeed sick at the moment. It’s also worth pointing out that UFC president Dana White also made comments following UFC Vegas 15 this weekend where he compared COVID-19 to a cold or flu and said that everyone will get it at some point.

How excited are you for Khamzat Chimaev vs. Leon Edwards?