UFC CEO Dana White Announces Colby Covington vs. Leon Edwards for UFC 296 Main Event in December

UFC 296 finally gets its main event.

Mathew Riddle | Sep 21, 2023

UFC CEO Dana White Announces Colby Covington vs. Leon Edwards for UFC 296 Main Event in December /

Colby Covington will challenge for the welterweight throne against British champion Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC 296 on December 16. UFC CEO Dana White first announced the news on September 20.

White also announced the co-main event, which will be a flyweight title fight between champion Alexandre Pantoja, and challenger Brandon Royval. Royval earned his rematch with three straight victories over top-ranked opposition.

Since 2020, seven of nine flyweight title fights have been rematches in one way or another. Fans would hope to see a fresh matchup, but Royval has more than done enough to secure a shot at the top.

In terms of the welterweight title, it is also a fun fact that Covington hasn't beaten an active (not currently retired) UFC fighter since 2018 against Rafael dos Anjos, that's 1,929 days ago at the time of writing. Edwards hasn't been particularly active himself, with four fights since 2019.

Hopefully these two fights can finally clear the divisional logjams which are welterweight and flyweight, and give hope to a roster of tough up-and-comers who are vying for their own shots at the belts.

These two fights are currently the only booked fights for UFC 296. If you're curious to find out what other events the UFC has booked, check out our complete 2023 UFC schedule here, updated every week with new and exciting matchups.

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Published Sep 21, 2023

MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with over five years of experience in digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMAKO in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on The Fight Fanatic, Heavy on UFC, Fansided, and Sportskeeda. Reach him at mr@thefightfanatic.com.