Leon Edwards outclassed Colby Covington in the Octagon and during the post-fight interview following the main event of UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
After enduring shameful trash talk that included mentioning the murder of Edwards’ dad as a means of entertainment, Edwards regulated his emotions and dominated Covington en route to a unanimous decision victory.
All three judges scored the fight 49-46 for Edwards. For the first four rounds, Edwards’ superior striking seemed to freeze Covington and subdue the ballyhooed cardio of the challenger.
Edwards outstruck Covington 57-44 in significant strikes, equaling the challenger’s takedown total at two. After the fight, Edwards spoke about the “rage” he felt after Covington’s unsavory digs. It was refreshing to see him get his comeuppance. Edwards didn’t get the finish, but he admitted he wanted it after Covington’s disrespect.
Covington’s post-fight interview was predictably obnoxious. He claimed he didn’t have a scratch on him while bleeding from the bridge of his nose.
Covington is now 0-3 in title fights and probably won’t get another shot at the title for a while–if ever again. Ben Askren and others had some interesting reactions to the main event.
What’s next for Edwards? It seems like a bout against Belal Muhammad or Shavkat Rakhmonov, who scored a second-round submission win over Stephen Thompson earlier in the evening.
No matter who Edwards faces next, it’s a good bet he won’t have to deal with the skullduggery he experienced ahead of his title defense against Covington.
Pantoja Nearly Shuts Out Royval
Alexandre Pantoja successfully defended his UFC Men’s Flyweight title with a dominating grappling performance.
Brandon Royval’s cardio was up to speed, but unfortunately, his takedown defense was not. On the strength of eight takedowns, Pantoja won all five rounds on two of the three judges’ scorecards and 49-46 on the third.
Royval was game throughout the contest and had his moments in the third and fifth frames.
However, Royval’s attempts to turn the momentum were hampered by a timely takedown from Pantoja. The champion seemed nearly exhausted in the fifth round, but he did enough–including a huge takedown–to complete the title defense.
Fight of the Night – Aldana and Rosa Put on a Show
If you missed Irene Aldana’s unanimous decision win over Karol Rosa, you owe it to yourself to take it in. If it’s not the greatest female fight of all time, it’s immediately in the top five in that category.
Both women showed mounds of heart. A persistent leg-kick attack from Rosa chopped up Aldana’s right leg.
Aldana did even more damage to Rosa’s face with her world-class boxing. Ultimately, Aldana prevailed unanimously, with all three judges giving her the 29-28 edge. This fight was epic, and both women deserve tons of respect.
This post on X puts a stamp on a fantastic bout.
UFC 296 Results and Bonuses
- (c) Leon Edwards def. Colby Covington via unanimous decision (49-46 x 3), Edwards retains UFC Welterweight Championship
- (c) Alexandre Pantoja def. Brandon Royval via unanimous decisions (50-45×2, 49-46), Pantoja retains UFC Men’s Flyweight Championship
- Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Stephen Thompson via second-round submission (rear-naked choke) (4:53)
- Paddy Pimblett def. Tony Ferguson via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
- $Josh Emmett def. Bryce Mitchell via first-round KO (1:57)
- Alonzo Menifield def. Dustin Jacoby via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
- $$Irene Aldana def. Karol Rosa via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
- Cody Garbrandt def. Brian Kelleher via first-round KO (3:42)
- $Ariane Lipski def. Casey O’Neill via submission (armbar) (1:18)
- Tagir Ulanbekov def. Cody Durden via submission (rear-naked choke) (4:25)
- Andre Fili def. Lucas Almeida via first-round TKO (3:32)
- $Shamil Gaziev def. Martin Buday via second-round TKO (0:56)
$ – Performance of the Night Bonus
$$ – Fight of the Night Bonus
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