Finally nailing down a date for their long-awaited grudge match, undisputed welterweight champion, Leon Edwards is slated to headline UFC 296 against former interim division titleholder, Colby Covington.
Taking main event honors at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 16. – undisputed welterweight kingpin, Edwards makes his return after snatching bragging rights in a March trilogy rubber match against common-foe, Kamaru Usman back in March.
As for Clovis native, Covington – the former interim titleholder returns for the first time since he settled a firey grudge match with former training partner, Jorge Masvidal back in March of last year in a shutout unanimous decision win.
Leon Edwards and Colby Covington headline UFC 296 in title grudge match
And as per UFC CEO, Dana White – Edwards and Covington, who have been on a distinct collision course since March, will now meet for the welterweight championship at UFC 296 atop the promotion’s final flagship event of the year.
Furthermore, UFC 296 also sees the addition of an exciting undisputed flyweight title fight between newly-minted champion, Alexandre Pantoja, and the surging contender, Brandon Royval – with that pairing set to take co-headlining status.
First winning welterweight gold with an earth-shattering fifth round high kick KO win over the aforenoted, Usman back in August of last year, Edwards would then turn in a close, majority decision win over the Auchi native in March atop a London pay-per-view card.
Himself snatching interim welterweight gold back in 2018, Covington defeated former undisputed lightweight champion, Rafael dos Anjos, before he was eventually stripped of the interim title due to inactivity.
Twice fighting common-opposition, Usman during his Octagon tenure, Covington first dropped a fifth round TKO loss to the Nigerian, before dropping a subsequent rematch decision loss to the Nigerian former pound-for-pound number one.
UFC 296 takes place on December 16. from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada – with Leon Edwards’ welterweight title defense against Colby Covington taking main event honors ahead of a flyweight title clash between champion, Alexandre Pantoja, and challenger, Brandon Royval.