Leon Edwards targeted by Holland and Luque after Chimaev withdrawal

Kevin Holland and Vicente Luque have both offered to step in against Leon Edwards on January 20.

Edwards, the UFC’s No. 3-ranked welterweight, was originally expected to battle Khamzat Chimaev in the January 20 card’s main event. Unfortunately, Chimaev has been forced out of that fight for undisclosed reasons, casting Edwards’ immediate future in uncertainty.

The good news is that, if Edwards decides he wants to stay on the January 20 card, he’s got plenty of options in terms of replacement opponents.

Not long after Chimaev was forced off the card, surging UFC middleweight contender Kevin Holland and top-15 welterweight Vicente Luque both offered to step in against Edwards.

Hold up, so am I hearing the #ufcFightIsland hotel has a vacancy and needs a real man to come and do work January 20th? #callbigmouth pic.twitter.com/0zX4cPZMvo

— Kevin Holland (@Trailblaze2top) December 29, 2020

“Hold up, so am I hearing the UFC Fight Island hotel has a vacancy and needs a real man to come and do work January 20th,” Holland wrote on Twitter, offering to step in against Edwards.

I’m ready to get that rematch with @Leon_edwardsmma I know MMA fans would love to watch it! Let’s go @ufc @seanshelby @AliAbdelaziz00 https://t.co/UbwobCxMeH

— Vicente Luque (@VicenteLuqueMMA) December 29, 2020

“I’m ready to get that rematch with Edwards,” wrote Luque, who lost a decision to Edwards in 2017. “I know MMA fans would love to watch it! Let’s go.”

While Holland and Luque are both interesting options for Edwards, it’s also possible Edwards could be matched up with Neil Magny, who currently holds the No. 9 spot at welterweight.

Magny has been linked to a fight with Michael Chiesa on the January 20 card. The expectation all along has been that he could get a call to step into the main event if either Edwards or Chimaev failed to make it to the cage.

All of that being said, the UFC may simply elect to reschedule Edwards and Chimaev’s fight for a later date.

Leon Edwards is currently on an eight-fight win-streak, highlighted by wins over Luque, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Gunnar Nelson, and Rafael dos Anjos. Who do you want to see him fight next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.