UFC 296: Edwards Triumphs Over Covington, Maintains Welterweight Championship

Leon Edwards successfully defended his welterweight title by defeating Colby Covington at UFC 296, marking his 12th consecutive victory.

The match, held in Las Vegas, saw Edwards outperform Covington, particularly in striking and neutralizing Covington’s grappling attempts.

Edwards expressed his dismay at Covington’s inappropriate remarks about his late father during the pre-fight period, stating, “Using my dad’s murder for entertainment crossed a line. It was challenging to contain my emotions. After our press conference, I found myself in tears due to the anger. You just don’t bring up someone’s deceased dad.”

In other highlights of UFC 296:

• Pimblett achieves a decisive victory against Ferguson
• Edwards’ effortless win over Covington revisited
• Page set for UFC debut at event 299
• Edwards displays strategic restraint amid local fanfare

The anticipation for the Edwards-Covington clash was palpable in Las Vegas, where promotional materials dominated the city’s famous Strip and casinos. However, Covington’s distasteful comments about Edwards’ father at the media conference cast a shadow over the event. Covington, known for his provocative persona, faced backlash from both peers and commentators for his insensitive remarks.

Entering the ring with an 11-win streak and having defended his title against Kamaru Usman in March, Edwards faced Covington, who had been out of the ring for 21 months since his victory over Jorge Masvidal. Notably, former President Donald Trump was present to support Covington, who had anticipated celebrating a win with Trump.

Among the spectators were various celebrities, including UFC champions Alexander Volkanovski, Islam Makhachev, Sean Strickland, actors Jared Leto, Mark Wahlberg, and rapper Stormzy. Covington, draped in the American flag and accompanied by Kurt Angle’s theme, exchanged a few words with Trump before entering the octagon, while Edwards, despite being booed, appeared calm and focused.

The fight commenced with Edwards aggressively advancing, using leg kicks and feints, even as the crowd chanted for Covington. With Edwards consistently pressuring Covington, the audience grew restless over the lack of intense action. Covington’s attempts to increase his offensive output in later rounds and secure takedowns were met with swift responses from Edwards.

As the fight concluded, both fighters appeared confident, but it was Edwards who rightfully claimed the victory.

Edwards, now on a 12-fight winning streak, commented on his strategy to counter Covington’s grappling, stating, “I aimed to prove my superiority as a mixed martial artist and an athlete. Covington is a formidable opponent but lacks integrity as a person.”

Despite being jeered post-fight, Covington maintained he should have won, attributing his performance partly to ring rust. He encouraged those facing challenges to persevere and expressed dissatisfaction over his opponents’ avoidance tactics.

The co-main event saw Alexandre Pantoja of Brazil defending his flyweight title against American Brandon Royval, resulting in a unanimous decision win. This was Pantoja’s first title defense since his win over Brandon Moreno, with Royval entering the fight following a victory over Matheus Nicolau. Pantoja dominated the grappling throughout the exhilarating match, preventing Royval from replicating his previous successful finishes.

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