Leon Edwards believes Khamzat Chimaev is in for a rude awakening at UFC Vegas 21 on March 13.
Edwards and Chimaev have been booked two times previously but due to COVID-19 it was postponed. Now, they will finally meet in a very intriguing matchup. It will no doubt be Chimaev’s toughest test to date, and Edwards gets the chance to steal some of his hype and he believes the Swede is in for a rude awakening.
“They probably want to push this kid up, trying to rush him, right?” Edwards told Submission Radio (via MMAFighting). “Like they do everyone else. They’re trying to get him a big win under his belt, trying to push him towards the title, probably. So that’s probably why they’re trying to keep the fight going. But they’re in for a rude awakening come March 13, and I cannot wait to get my title shot after this.”
Leon Edwards has not fought since he beat Rafael dos Anjos in July of 2019 and was holding out for a title shot since then. However, that never came to fruition, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Englishman also holds notable wins over Donald Cerrone, Vicente Luque, and Gunnar Nelson among others.
Khamzat Chimaev, meanwhile, is only 3-0 in the UFC and 1-0 at welterweight. However, he has looked very impressive with wins over John Phillips, Rhys McKee, and the one-punch KO over Gerald Meerschaert. If he can get past Edwards, he will likely get a title shot next time out.
Who do you think will win between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev on March 13?
