UFC 296 officials announced: Referees and judges confirmed for Las Vegas title bouts

The Nevada Athletic Commission has designated the referees and judges for the two title fights scheduled at UFC 296, the last pay-per-view (PPV) event of 2023, scheduled for December 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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In the main event, Leon Edwards will defend his welterweight title against Colby Covington, with referee Herb Dean officiating inside the octagon. This marks the second consecutive fight in which Dean has served as the referee for 'Rocky', as he previously officiated Edwards' title defense against Kamaru Usman at UFC 286 in March. The judging panel for the main event comprises Sal D'amato, Derek Cleary, and Chris Lee.

In the co-main event featuring Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval in a UFC flyweight title rematch, Marc Goddard will preside as the referee. Ron McCarthy, Junichiro Kamijo, and Eric Colon will be the designated judges for the bout. The remaining assignments for referees and judges for UFC 296 will be announced on the fight night.

UFC 296 main card insights: Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington – key details and start times

The UFC 296 main card is scheduled to commence at 8 PM PT/11 PM ET in the United States, corresponding to 3 AM GMT on December 17 in the United Kingdom and 8:30 AM on December 17 in India. The main event walkouts are anticipated approximately two and a half hours into the card, around 10:30 PM ET/1:30 AM ET in the U.S., 5:30 AM GMT in the U.K., and 11 AM in India.

For U.S. viewers, the prelims and early prelims will be available on ESPN+, while the main card will be accessible via PPV. In the UK, TNT Sports Box Office is set to broadcast the event, and in India, UFC 296 can be viewed on SonyLIV, requiring a subscription for access.