UFC 296 results: Leon Edwards dominates, retains welterweight title in one-sided fight against Colby Covington

Author Photo
Daniel Yanofsky
and others
• 18 min read
Leon Edwards - Colby Covington
(Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

All signs pointed to Colby Covington being crowned the UFC welterweight champion at UFC 296. “Chaos” got a third shot at gold despite being away for more than a year and other contenders having better records.

Former President Donald Trump was in the crowd to support him, and the fans in the T-Mobile Arena were on his side. He even got into the head of champion Leon Edwards before the fight, doing anything to have the edge.

Edwards wasn’t about to allow Covington to take the spotlight away from him, beating the American at his own game. The English fighter dominated Covington for the vast majority of the five rounds, landing takedowns of his own against the wrestler. “Rocky retained the title via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46). 

Many expected Edwards would act aggressively in the fight after Covington brought up his dead father. However, Edwards was patient in his approach, striking at the right moments. He used kicks to chop down the leg of Covington, who looked to be in visible pain. Several shots Covington attempted missed by a mile, as a disappointed crowd started to boo the man they were cheering through the week. 

Covington landed a few patented takedowns, but Edwards challenged him by landing a few of his own. The end of round five saw Edwards in trouble, but he knew he won when it was all over.

MORE: All you need to know about the PFL's acquisition of Bellator

Edwards is now on a 13-fight unbeaten streak. The 35-year-old Covington is 0-3 in title fights. Now that the Covington experiment is over, Edwards can focus on top contenders Belal Muhammad or Shavkat Rakhmonov. 

Meanwhile, Alexandre Pantoja went 2-0 against Brandon Royval to retain the UFC flyweight title in the co-main event. Pantoja used his ground game to smother Royval. The end of round four and the beginning of round five was Royval’s best shot at winning, as Pantoja was getting tired. However, the Brazilian used eight takedowns and over 10 minutes of control time to suffocate Royval. 

Pantoja has now won five in a row after his first defense of the belt he won against Brandon Moreno in July. 

The undefeated Rakhmonov submitted Stephen Thompson, a first in Thompson’s career. Shavkat controlled all aspects of the fight by the cage and tried to submit Thompson several times. Thompson avoided several takedowns but couldn’t survive the last 10 seconds of the contest. 

A top contender at welterweight, Shavkat is right below Belal Muhammad. Should he face Belal, compete in another contender fight, or move past him in the rankings?

After a year away from action, Paddy Pimblett beat Tony Ferguson. “The Baddy” used his ground game to have all the control time in the world. Pimblett won the fight via unanimous decision. Ferguson is now on a seven-fight losing streak, a far cry from when fans were salivating for a fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov.

MORE: Ranked: The 25 best MMA fighters under the age of 25

To start the PPV, Josh Emmett provided a late contender Knockout of the Year when he starched Bryce Mitchell in the first round. Mitchell, a last-minute replacement, was visibly shaking after. The KOTY candidate joined Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa from earlier in the night for a late Fight of the Year contender. 

The Sporting News provided full results and highlights from UFC 296. Check it out! 

UFC 296 results, highlights

Leon Edwards retains UFC welterweight title against Colby Covington

Round five: Edwards continued to chop the leg of Covington. Covington landed a takedown, his most damaging of the night. However, Edwards tried to fight with all his might and he took him down. Edwards had an arm triangle, but Covington got out quick. Covington got on top and started suffocating Edwards. The time went down as Covington's championship aspirations came to an end. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Covington (49-46 Edwards)

Round four: Edwards stalked Covington to open the round. He landed another chopping leg kick. A takedown attempt by Covington is unsuccessful. Edwards almost got a choke in during the attempt. A kick to the gut by Edwards connected. Straight left by Edwards connected. Combinations by Covington connected. A takedown attempt failed. Covington's leg looked shot. Edwards almost hit Covington's cup. Left hand by Covington. They exchanged shots and Covington tried to land another takedown. Edwards neutralized him, but Covington got to his back. Edwards fought out of it. Covington's best round to date, but still Edwards' round. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Edwards (40-36) 

Round three: The pace of the fight started to pick up. Covington got hit with leg kicks. Edwards landed a high shot to the face and then another leg kick. A takedown attempt was successful by Covington. High head kick by Edwards on his way up. He went for a takedown and landed one. Wow. Covington tried for combinations. Edwards chopped his leg some more. It is a very different Covington performance, like someone who has been away for a while. Another leg kick by Edwards.

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Edwards (30-27)

Round two: Covington with a body kick to start round two. Edwards tried to land a sharp shot but missed. He landed a right hook and a sharp inside shot. They traded leg kicks. A left by Edwards connected as Covington's shots aren't close to landing. High leg kick by Edwards and a punch to the gut. Low leg kick buckled Covington, and another. Edwards is landing through Covington's defense. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Edwards (20-18) 

Round one: They didn't touch gloves to start. Covington tried for a high kick early. They traded leg kicks. Covington with another high kick as Edwards went low. They are both tentative. Edwards with a left hand, and a right. Leg kick connected, and Edwards avoided a takedown. Another left landed by Edwards. It is not a fire fight as expected. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Edwards

Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington is next. Possibly the last shot at gold for Covington, with Trump in the front row. Edwards will look to end him, but can he keep his composure? Covington came out to Kurt Angle's WWE theme song, "You Suck" chants and all. 

Takedown-heavy Alexandre Pantoja defends flyweight belt, goes 2-0 against Brandon Royval

Round five: Royval started with a few shots to the face. He can't let the fight go to the floor again if he wants to win. Uppercut by Royval along with a few extra shots. Pantoja landed a few shots of his own. Royval with an elbow and a jab. Volume shots are the name of the game here. Pantoja fell but tried for a takedown. Royval tried to fight out of it, but Pantoja got his eighth. On mount, Pantoja wouldn't budge until the final bell. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Pantoja (50-45)

Round four: Pantoja's corner told him he lost that round, so he acted defensive to start the round by dropping Royval with a takedown. On his back, Pantoja tried to submit Royval. He had over 10 minutes of ground control time. As he went for the triangle choke, Royval fought out of it. However, Pantoja continued to smother him until the last twenty seconds. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Pantoja (40-36) 

Round three: Pantoja rushed towards Royval, landing combinations and another takedown. Royval managed to bring the fight to the feet, as Pantoja finally showed signs of fatigue. The former finally blocked a takedown attempt and pounded on the body of Pantoja. Body kick by Pantoja. A few rights landed, and Royval started to feel more comfortable. Pantoja brought him back down to the floor knowing Royval had momentum on his feet. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Pantoja (30-27)

Round two: Pantoja landed a right and a kick to the body to start the round, continuing his high pace. The champion put Royval to the ground again. The control time Pantoja had was out of this world (over two minutes in both rounds), as Royval could not counter out of it. Finally back up, a hammerfist landed. A head kick by Royval landed but Pantoja halted his momentum by putting him back on the floor. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Pantoja (20-18)

Round one: No bad blood between the two, as they touched gloves twice. Pantoja went for the attack right away, landing vicious shots. Jon Anik said it best when he said he came out like a bat out of hell. Pantoja landed a right and then held Royval by the cage. A kick to the body of Royval and Pantoja would not let up the pace. He dropped Royval with a takedown. Royval tried kicks from the ground. Back on top, Royval smothered Royval and blocked any defensive move Royval had. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Pantoja

The co-main event is next. Alexandre Pantoja defends the UFC flyweight title in a rematch against Brandon Royval. 

Rising contender Shavkat Rakhmonov forces Stephen Thompson to submit

11:30 p.m. ET: Before the second round came to an end, Shavkat submitted Thompson with a rear-naked choke. He is one step closer to a title shot. Does he face Belal, wait, or move past him in the rankings?

11:25 p.m. ET: Shavkat pushed Thompson up by the cage to start. Both landed knees to the body as Shavkat continued to hold onto Thompson. Trading punches, Shavkat landed the better shots. The crowd got restless as Thompson couldn't land any form of offense. Back in the middle of the octagon, Thompson landed multiple kicks and combinations. Round two saw Thompson act as the aggressor to start, while also avoiding a takedown. By the cage, Shavkat put him to the floor. Now on the back, Shavkat went for the rear-naked choke, but Thompson survived somehow. It didn't matter, as Shavkat controlled all aspects of this round.

11:15 p.m. ET: The next fight is Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson. Shavkat is on a fast track to a contender spot. Jack Black is walking Stephen Thompson out to the octagon. Amazing. 

The UFC just showed Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis, who fight for middleweight gold next year. They were right next to one another, and they got into a fight in the crowd. This came after du Plessis talked about Strickland's dad. 

Paddy Pimblett edges Tony Ferguson in return fight

11 p.m. ET: Round two saw Ferguson try and take control of the octagon. Ferguson tried for a kick but slipped, and Pimblett ended up on top. The former landed elbows on the floor. Pimblett landed a right hand. Still on the floor, Pimblett would not allow Ferguson room to breathe. Ferguson looked slow to open round three. He managed to land an uppercut, while Pimblett connected with another leg shot. Ferguson didn't want to go to the floor. That bit him as Pimblett dropped him. Ferguson elbowed Pimblett's head, but Pimblett remained on top. He tried for a submission but Pimblett did not give in. Pimblett won via unanimous decision. 

10:45 p.m. ET: Both fighters looked to kick one another to submission. Ferguson caught him with a right and dropped Pimblett with a trip. Pimblett with a leg kick and tried for a takedown. Right hand by Ferguson and a body kick by Pimblett. The latter went for several calf kicks. Ferguson reached at several points and landed clan shots, including a left. Pimblett landed combinations, while Ferguson countered. Pimblett landed combinations and a flying kick. On the floor, he went for the attack. On top, Pimblett tried to end the fight. 

10:40 p.m. ET: The next fight is Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett. Usually a fan favorite, time off and an injury have forced Pimblett to gain fan trust again. Can Ferguson return to his winning ways?

Josh Emmett lands KO of the Year contender against Bryce Mitchell

10:25 p.m.ET: Mitchell provided pressure early right away in round one. Emmett attempted a few strikes, as both stayed in the center of the octagon. Emmett landed a big shot that dropped Mitchell. The fight was over before it began. Ouch. Contender for KO of the Year.

10:20 p.m. ET: The first fight of the main card is Josh Emmett vs. Bryce Mitchell. Mitchell is a last-minute replacement fighter. 

10:05 p.m. ET: The main card of UFC 296 has started. 

Donald Trump is once again at a UFC event. 

10 p.m. ET: Both men were resilient as they stood in the center of the octagon. Menifield landed a solid right, while Jacoby hit one of his own. Jacoby went with combinations that pushed Menifield’s head back. Menifield was busted open. Jacoby got rocked with a hook and Menifield landed right hand after right hand. He then dragged Jacoby across the floor. He then held Jacoby by the cage. They traded shots until the final bell. Menifield won via unanimous decision. 

9:50 p.m. ET: Menifield went for a knockout shot early, as did Jacoby. The latter landed a few jabs. A straight left by Menifield connected as Jacoby went on the defensive with leg shots. Going for a takedown, Menifield missed. Jacoby with a few faints and a body shot, and had him by the cage. Left hand by Menifield to open round two. He then landed leg kick that dropped Jacoby for a second. Menifield continued his assault with right hands. Left hand had Jacoby stumbling. Jacoby fired back with a jab and several combinations.  

9:38 pm. ET: The last fight of the prelims is Alonzo Menifield vs. Dustin Jacoby.

9:26 p.m. ET: Aldana won via unanimous decision. Very late contender for Fight of the Year.  

9:25 p.m. ET: Aldana’s leg, swollen and all, didn’t seem to bother her. Rosa landed combinations and now holds the record for most leg kicks in bantamweight history. Aldana pressed forward and landed combinations. Both are bleeding badly. Rosa was bleeding by both eyes like she was in a horror movie. Aldana provided plenty of pressure. These ladies deserve a bonus.  

9:15 p.m. ET: Aldana was the aggressor to start. Rosa used leg kicks against the boxer-like fighter. The former got dropped to the floor by a kick as she landed combinations. Aldana continued to press forward, even with a damaged leg. Another leg kick buckled Aldana. Rosa continued to batter Aldana in round two. Outside of leg kicks, she landed sharp shots to the face. Aldana fought back but Rosa countered. Rosa slipped on a knee attempt and Aldana used her error to attack. Aldana with a clean uppercut in he last twenty seconds of round two. 

9:05 p.m. ET: The next fight is a bantamweight bout between Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa. 

8:45 p.m. ET: Both fighters came out swinging to start. Kelleher chopped at Garbrandt’s legs. Garbrandt got him in the head as Kelleher moved forward. The former moved “Boom Boom” close to the cage and held onto him. Garbrandt landed a clean elbow and then hit Kelleher with body blows. As Kellher landed a leg kick Garbrandt hit a right hand that put him down. 

8:40 p.m. ET: Up next is Cody Garbrandt vs. Brian Kelleher at bantamweight. The former champion in Garbrandt had a small stint at flyweight and is back at 135. 

8:25 p.m. ET: The first fight of the prelims was Casey O'Neill vs. Ariane Lipski. Lipski landed a counter shot in round one and both women started a game of shot for shot through the round. Round two saw Lipski decimate O’Neill from the feet and forced her to the floor, where she continued her assault. The former went from a rear-naked choke to an armbar, and got the quick tap.  

8 p.m. ET: The prelims have started. The UFC commentary team is going over the welterweight rankings, and it will be interesting to see if Belal Muhammad gets a title shot after tonight, or if Shavkat Rakhmonov forces his way to the top. 

7 p.m. ET: During the Early Prelims, Shamil Gaziev defeated Martin Buday, Andre Fili beat Lucas Almeida, and Shamil Gaziev defeated Martin Buday via TKO, all via TKO. 

As we prepare for the main event, Edwards has responded to Covington's pre-fight comments about his late father. “I know that’s what he wants, he wants to come out there and be stupid, but I want to be cold in there,” Edwards told Eurosport. “I’m coming for him, and I can’t wait for it… I feel like the ref needs to pull me off him. I need to hurt this man. I’m not going to play into this guy’s game, but I’m also coming to take him out.”

7:45 p.m. ET: Hello everyone, and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of UFC 296!

UFC 296 results

Main card 

  • Leon Edwards (c) def. Colby Covington via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) for the UFC welterweight title
  • Alexandre Pantoja (c) def. Brandon Royval via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46) for the UFC flyweight title
  • Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Stephen Thompson via rear-naked choke (4:56 into round two)
  • Paddy Pimblett def. Tony Ferguson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) 
  • Josh Emmet def. Bryce Mitchell via KO (1:57 into round one) 

Prelims

  • Alonzo Menifield def. Dustin Jacoby via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Irene Aldana def. Karol Rosa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Cody Garbrandt def. Brian Kelleher via KO (3:42 into round one)
  • Ariane Lipski def. Casey O'Neill via armbar (1:18 into round two) 

Early Prelims

  • Tagir Ulanbekov def. Cody Durden via rear-naked choke (4:25 into round two)
  • Andre Fili def. Lucas Almeida via TKO (3:32 into round one)
  • Shamil Gaziev def. Martin Buday via TKO (0:56 into round two)
Author(s)
Daniel Yanofsky Photo
Daniel Yanofsky

Daniel Yanofsky is a combat sports editor at The Sporting News.

MMA
UFC
Leon Edwards
Colby Covington