Chimaev (9-0) has been forced to withdraw from the Jan. 20 contest, though the exact reasons remain unknown for the time being. The news was first reported by FrontKickOnline, and collaborated by DAZN News.

Their initial fight date was removed from the UFC Fight Night show on Dec. 19 when Edwards (18-3) contracted COVID-19. The Brit looks set to remain on the Jan. 20 card against a replacement opponent to be confirmed.

Edwards struggled with coronavirus and lost 12 pounds while ill, but appears set to return to the cage after 18 months away. His last fight was a win over former UFC titleholder Rafael dos Anjos, but various issues have kept him out since the July 2019 encounter.

A high-profile showdown with another former champion, Tyson Woodley, was set for the UFC's annual jaunt to the U.K. in March only for the London show to be one of the first to be shelved by the pandemic.

The worldwide travel restrictions forced by the lockdown made a return later in 2020 difficult for the Birmingham fighter, with callouts of Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal getting him nowhere until Chimaev signed up for the initial December date.

Chimaev is part of a significant recent wave of Chechen competitors in combat sports. The 26-year-old picked up three swift wins via finish in as many months, scoring a hat-trick of "Performance of the Night" honors in the process. His D'Arce choke submission of John Phillips and strike-led stoppage of Rhys McKee broke the record for the fastest turnaround between modern-era UFC wins, with just 10 days separating the two dominant outings.

UFC Fight Night card 

• Leon Edwards vs. TBD
• Michael Chiesa vs. Neil Magny
• Viviane Araujo vs. Roxanne Modafferi
• Tyson Nam vs. Matt Schnell
• Francisco Figueredo vs. Jerome Rivera
• Dean Barry vs. Mike Jackson
• Pedro Munhoz vs. Jimmie Rivera
• Matt Brown vs. Carlos Condit
• Zarrukh Adashev vs. Jeffrey Molina
• Lerone Murphy vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade
• Vinicius Moreira vs. Ike Villanueva
• Manon Fiorot vs. Victoria Leonardo