The UFC welterweight title is on the line when Leon Edwards defends the belt against multi-time contender Colby Covington at UFC 296 on December 16. The fight in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas airs on ESPN+ PPV in the U.S.
Covington is 2-2 in his last four fights and is 0-2 when competing for the UFC welterweight title. "Chaos" went on a seven-fight win streak that saw him become a force in combat sports, beating Demian Maia, Rafael dos Anjos, and Robbie Lawler. He believes Edwards had an easy path to welterweight gold compared to him, separating his skills from the English fighter.
"He had the right matchups at the right time to get to that point in his career," Covington told the UFC. "He fought a lightweight washout in Nate Diaz and sat out almost two years to get his title shot. I don’t think he warranted getting a title shot after beating that guy. He just cried, ‘I deserve this, I deserve that’, instead of just going out there and working for it or earning it like I did. I had to earn it the hard way. No one gave me this spot to fight for the undisputed title. I had to earn it. I had to go the unconventional way because the straight-ahead way wasn’t available. He didn’t earn it the hard way like I did."
Edwards has been with the UFC since 2014. "Rocky" had a real-life "Rocky" moment after knocking out Kamaru Usman at the last minute to win the UFC welterweight title. His record includes wins against Donald Cerrone, Rafael Dos Anjos, Nate Diaz, and Usman (2x). Edwards faces an All-American wrestler in Covington but believes his opponent's level of competition at the time they happened shouldn't give him credibility.
WATCH: UFC 296: Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington, exclusively on ESPN+
"Everyone is saying [to be wary of] his cardio and that he can keep the pace for the full fight, but I believe they're judging that on fights where he's fought over-the-hill guys like Robbie Lawler, Jorge Masvidal, Tyron Woodley," Edwards told EUROSPORT. "In sports, it's old. I'm excited to go out there and shut him up. He's a good talker, so I'm going to go out there, shut him up, and continue my reign."
Here's all you need to know about UFC 296, from time, channel, and card.
What time UFC 296: Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington today?
The early prelims start at 6 p.m. ET, with the prelims at 8 p.m. ET. The main card is at 10 p.m. ET. Edwards and Covington should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
| Region | Date | Early Prelims Start Time | Prelims Start Time | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Saturday, December 16 | 6 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. ET | 12:15 a.m. ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Saturday, December 16 | 3 p.m. PT | 5 p.m. PT | 7 p.m. PT | 9:15 p.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Sunday, December 17 | 11 p.m. GMT | 1 a.m. GMT | 3 a.m. GMT | 5:15 a.m. GMT |
| Australia | Sunday, December 17 | 10 a.m. AEDT | 12 p.m. AEDT | 2 p.m. AEDT | 4:15 p.m. AEDT |
MORE: Ranked: The 25 best MMA fighters under the age of 25
How to watch UFC 296: Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Saturday, December 16 | ESPN+, ESPN PPV |
| Canada | Saturday, December 16 | BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
| United Kingdom | Sunday, December 17 | TNT Sports, TNT Sports Box Office |
| Australia | Sunday, December 17 | Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington PPV price: How much does UFC 296 cost?
In the U.S., the UFC 296 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 296 is $79.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $134.98 for the UFC 296 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.
In the UK, fans wanting to watch the main event will have to pay £19.99 to watch it on TNT Sports Box Office.
WATCH: UFC 296: Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington, exclusively on ESPN+
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $10.99/mo |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $109.99/yr |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $14.99/mo |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $24.99/mo |
| UFC PPV Standalone | $79.99 each |
| UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) | $134.98, then $109.99/year |
| UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle | $79.99, then $14.99/mo |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
UFC 296 fight card
Main card
- Leon Edwards (c) vs. Colby Covington for the UFC welterweight title
- Alexandre Pantoja (c) vs. Brandon Royval 2 for the UFC flyweight title
- Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson; Welterweights
- Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett; Lightweights
- Josh Emmet vs. Bryce Mitchell; Featherweights
Prelims
- Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa; Bantamweights
- Cody Garbrandt vs. Brian Kelleher; Bantamweights
- Casey O'Neill vs. Ariane Lipski; Flyweights
- Alonzo Menifield vs. Dustin Jacoby; Light Heavyweights
Early Prelims
- Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Cody Durden; Flyweights
- Andre Fili vs. Lucas Almeida; Featherweights
- Martin Buday vs. Shamil Gaziev; Heavyweights
Sporting News may earn an affiliate commission through our links when you sign up for a streaming service. The Sporting News' affiliates have no influence over the editorial content included in this article.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.