January 15, 2021
The UFC is certainly taking advantage of the newly constructed Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The company is hosting three events in a span of eight days. The second of these shows, UFC on ESPN 20, is an early morning affair on Wednesday.
Originally slated to feature the highly anticipated showdown between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev, the event took a hit when Chimaev was unable to compete due to COVID-19 complications. Instead, the headliner now includes welterweights Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny. They are the eighth- and ninth-ranked 170-pounders in the UFC, and both fighters will look to extend a three-fight winning streak to climb ever closer to the top five.
When Michael Chiesa woke up a little over a week ago and saw that Khamzat Chimaev was out of his scheduled main event matchup with Leon Edwards, he thought his 2021 schedule might begin differently as well.
Report: Michael Chiesa vs. Neil Magny Agreed For January 20
A ranked welterweight bout between Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny is in the works.
That’s according to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto who reported Tuesday that it’s been agreed for the January 20 Fight Island card. That event, of course, is headlined by a welterweight bout between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev.
Should anything happen to either competitor in the main event, one of Chiesa or Magny would seemingly fill in.
“Per sources, Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) vs. Neil Magny (@NeilMagny) has been agreed to for the Jan. 20 Fight Island card. One of these two could presumably serve as a backup to that Edwards/Chimaev main event.”
Image credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Ranked welterweight contenders Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny have reportedly agreed to fight on January 20 on Fight Island.
While this is a big fight for the welterweight division in its own right, either of the two men could apparently get the call to step in should Leon Edwards or Khamzat Chimaev fail to make it to the cage for the card’s main event.
This news comes from Brett Okamoto of ESPN, the official broadcast partner of the UFC.
Per sources, Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) vs. Neil Magny (@NeilMagny) has been agreed to for the Jan. 20 Fight Island card. One of these two could presumably serve as a backup to that Edwards/Chimaev main event. pic.twitter.com/XHYGq3jsQX