Two title fights and a ton of action are the selling points for UFC’s final pay-per-view of the year
• 2 min read
The final UFC PPV event of the year is upon us. The promotion is back home in Las Vegas with a pair of title fights atop the marquee on Saturday night when UFC 296 lands inside the T-Mobile Arena. The main event sees welterweight champion Leon Edwards look to turn away former two-time title challenger Colby Covington while the co-main sees new flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja take on his first test against Brandon Royval.
It’s been a long, long time since Edwards has tasted defeat. England’s second UFC champion is unbeaten dating back to a 2015 setback against Kamaru Usman that he has since avenged twice. The trilogy is behind him and Edwards looks ahead to new challenges. It feels like Covington has curried favor with UFC matchmakers, being granted a third undisputed title shot despite his flimsy case. Covington is 3-2 with wins over three fighters who have since retired. Covington’s most impressive performances were arguably close, losing efforts to Usman in title fights.
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The co-main event could produce the Fight of the Night. Pantoja and Royval previously met in 2021 with Pantoja scoring a second-round submission win. That victory was part of his current four-fight win streak that catapulted him to champ status with a split decision win over Brandon Moreno in July. Royval bounced back from the defeat to Pantoja to win three in a row himself, including a pair of stoppages that earned performance bonuses.
Two rising stars are also in action against talented veterans on the main card as Shavkat Rakhmonov faces off with Stephen Thompson in the welterweight division while the brash Paddy Pimblett takes on Tony Ferguson, who will be looking to snap a six-fight losing skid when the pair meet in a lightweight battle. Plus, a late addition to the main card when Ian Garry vs. Vicente Luque was canceled sees Bryce Mitchell take on Josh Emmett in a featherweight showdown.
Below is the complete fight card for UFC 296 along with the latest odds. Check back all week long for the latest news, features and other content around this massive event.
UFC 296 fight card, odds
- Leon Edwards (c) -160 vs. Colby Covington +135, welterweight title
- Alexandre Pantoja (c) -175 vs. Brandon Royval +150, flyweight title
- Shavkat Rakhmonov -650 vs. Stephen Thompson +400, welterweights
- Paddy Pimblett -330 vs. Tony Ferguson +260, lightweights
- Bryce Mitchell -230 vs Josh Emmett +190, featherweights
- Irene Aldana -200 vs. Karol Rosa +170, women’s bantamweights
- Cody Garbrandt -205 vs. Brian Kelleher +170, bantamweights
- Casey O’Neill -190 vs. Ariane Lipski +155, women’s flyweights
- Dustin Jacoby -250 vs. Alonzo Menifield +205, light heavyweights
- Tagir Ulanbekov -175 vs. Cody Durden +150, flyweights
- Andre Fili -180 vs. Luca Almeida +155, featherweights
- Martin Buday -150 vs. Shamil Gaziev +125, heavyweights
UFC 296 info
- Date: Dec. 16
- Location: T-Mobile Arena — Las Vegas
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET (Main card)
- How to watch: ESPN+ PPV
UFC 296 countdown
- Staff predictions and expert picks for the main card
- Brookhouse: Best bets to consider on the main card
- Mahjouri: Undercard fights to watch this weekend
- Campbell: Top storylines to watch in Las Vegas
Who wins UFC 296 Edwards vs. Covington, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC 296, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $6,200 in 2022, and find out.
