UFC 296’s highly anticipated main event between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington occurred tonight in the sold-out T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight marks the 46th time in UFC history that the welterweight title is up for grabs. This will be Covington’s third time fighting for the title, having lost to Kamaru Usman at UFC 245 and UFC 268 in his two prior attempts.
Leon Edwards’ second defense of his welterweight championship will be the most personal fight of his career so far. Colby Covington, a known trash talker, made personal remarks about the death of Leon’s father at the pre-fight press conference on Thursday. The champion is coming off two wins against the aforementioned Kamaru Usman, the first being a spectacular head-kick KO to seal a historical comeback. He looks to put Covington’s name in the title picture to rest with a dominant performance.
The Champion Gets to Work Early
Both men started very timid with little strikes thrown in the first 90 seconds. Colby opened the action up with a big combination of hooks as Leon looked to snipe on the inside. A big left hand by Edwards put a big smile across the face of Covington who shot for a takedown soon after. That takedown was stuffed and Edwards began to track Covington against the cage. Covington threw a glancing 1-2 that partially landed before the rounds end.
The fight was being fought at range and in favor of the style of Leon Edwards, something Covington needed to change in round 2. The champion came out and landed a big left hand and right hook to start the round. The two clinched up for a brief moment and Covington landed a good uppercut off the break. The champion controlled the range while landing sniper shots from the outside as Covington struggled to land any real offense. The champion was in complete control of the fight at this point and dictated every exchange while pressing Covington to the cage.
The third round continued with most of the same as the previous two, with the champion controlling a passive kickboxing match from the outside. Covington finally found some success with a takedown attempt but Edwards instantly fought to his feet and took Covington down. Edwards stood right back up and continued to defend almost every incoming strike while chipping away at the American.
Leon Edwards Cruising Through Covington
Edwards defended an early takedown in round 4 before landing a nice teep kick up the middle. He followed that up with a massive left hand that smashed into Covington’s jaw. That woke something up in the challenger as he pushed Edwards against the cage and looked to get the fight to the floor. Leon slipped out of the clinch and continued in the center of the cage, where he was met with big left hands from Covington who started to realize some success in the striking. Another takedown attempt led to a scramble which gave Covington the back of the champion. Edwards stayed calm and worked to his feet where he landed a big knee to the body before the end of the round.
A finish seemed necessary in round 5 for Covington if he wanted to become the welterweight champion. He found another takedown early in the round that was reversed by the champion who attempted a triangle off his side, however, Covington rolled out and got back on top. He sat in half-guard to end the round and landed a couple of minor punches to the body, but wasn’t able to get off any effective offense.
The fight ended with little doubt that the champion deserved to retain his belt. The scorecards read 49-46 across the board for Leon Edwards, who retained his championship with a clear and decisive win.
UFC Fighters React to Colby Covington’s Disastrous Performance
UFC fighters reacted to Colby Covington’s disappointing performance:
What did you think about Leon Edwards’ title-defending performance? Who do you want to see him defend the title against next? Let us know in the comments below.
Featured Image Credit to Embed from Getty Images
