Neil Magny is not giving up on being Khamzat Chimaev’s next opponent.
Before Leon Edwards was finalized as Khamzat Chimaev’s next opponent, Chimaev and the UFC were hitting the pavement hard to find an opponent for the undefeated juggernaut. While they were searching far and wide, Magny was standing directly in front of them volunteering to be selected, only to be ignored and skipped over. Now that Leon Edwards will be unable to compete on December 19 and Magny is still without a next opponent, he is once again reasserting himself front and center in front of Khamzat Chimaev and the UFC brass.
“5 round fight in 2 weeks, wouldn’t be the first for me! Holla at me @ufc,” Magny tweeted.
Dana White himself will be the first to tell you that Neil Magny is not chasing attention when he makes remarks like this. White admitted that Magny was the only fighter to volunteer to fight Chimaev while the search for his next opponent was still active.
Unfortunately for Magny, not only are the UFC planning on rescheduling Edwards/Chimaev for early 2021, but the final bout slot for the card has already been filled with Anthony Pettis now facing unranked Alex Morono in a welterweight scrap. Had Magny known Pettis was interested in fighting at welterweight at this card, perhaps Magny would have volunteered to fight him instead, as that fight would have made sense on many levels, particularly from a ranking standpoint. Pettis is currently ranked at #12, with Magny at #9, and the two veterans have never faced one another before. But as it stands, Magny will continue waiting for his next opponent, and who knows, maybe he will cross paths with Chimaev at some point down the line.
Whom do you think Neil Magny should fight next?
