UFC 296: Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington: Full video highlightsÂ
UFC 296 was headlined by a highly anticipated clash between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington for the UFC welterweight throne. The event took place on December 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
Prior to the event, Edwards was riding a 12-fight undefeated streak that included wins over fighters like Kamaru Usman, Nate Diaz, Rafael dos Anjos, Gunnar Nelson, Donald Cerrone, and Vicente Luque.
Covington, on the other hand, was coming off a unanimous decision victory against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272 which took place in March 2022. After being out of action for over a year, 'Chaos' made his return at UFC 296, marking his third attempt to become an undisputed UFC champion in his last five fights.
Edwards walked into the T-Mobile Arena donning the UFC fight kit while Covington was seen wearing a red suit along with his trademark 'Make America Great Again' hat.
Leon Edwards donned a focused look while getting his hands wrapped in the locker room whereas Colby Covington gave some animated expressions to the camera.
Both athletes were seen doing a warm-up workout in preparation for the UFC 296 main event.
'Chaos' walked out carrying the American flag on his shoulders and shook former U.S. President Donald Trump's hand, who was present in the audience.
The first round started on a slow note as both athletes proceeded cautiously.
The second round also lacked action but the champion managed to land good kicks on his opponent.
Covington changed levels in the third round by successfully scoring a takedown. But Edwards got up after a few seconds and managed to secure a takedown of his own.
Covington attempted multiple takedowns in the fourth round but could not find much success.
Covington managed to score top position in the fifth round and stayed there until the end of the round.
The fight went the 25-minute distance and ended with Leon Edwards taking home a dominant unanimous decision victory. All three judges scored the contest 49-46 in favor of the welterweight champion. With the victory, 'Rocky' is now on a 13-fight undefeated streak in the UFC.