Leon Edwards looks to prove a point when he defends the UFC welterweight title against the controversial Colby Covington at UFC 296 on December 16. The fight and event in the T-Mobile Arena airs on ESPN+ PPV in the U.S.
Edwards joined the UFC in 2014 and is on a 12-fight unbeaten streak in the octagon. "Rocky" won two in a row against Kamaru Usman from 2022-2023, winning and defending the welterweight title after years of waiting for his shot. The English fighter is ready to hold onto the belt against someone in Covington who has received numerous title shots.
Covington was on a seven-fight win streak that saw his personality overtake the promotion for his fights. “Chaos” is a former interim UFC welterweight champion and is 0-2 in title opportunities, losing twice against Usman.
Though he is 2-2 in his last four fights and hasn’t fought for over a year, Covington was still named the top contender for the belt. Edwards believes these, and several other factors, can help him against the American.
WATCH: UFC 296: Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington, exclusively on ESPN+
“This is his fourth title shot. I feel like he knows this is his last one,” Edwards told UFC Europe via MMA Fighting. “As far as what’s on the line for me, how long it took me to get it, so, I feel like we’ve both got a lot to prove in there. So, I am 100% focused for the best Colby. I know he’s been out for almost two years come December. But I just can’t see what he goes in there and does. I’ve been the active one. I’m the younger one. He hasn’t beat no one under the age of 35, 36, since I don’t know. If you’re judging his wins off Robbie [Lawler], [Tyron] Woodley, and Masvidal, he’s in for a total shock what’s going to happen on fight night.”
The co-main event is Alexandre Pantoja defending the UFC flyweight title against Brandon Royval. Pantoja beat Royval in 2021. Since then, the latter has won three in a row. Pantoja beat Brandon Moreno in July to win the belt.
Here's all you need to know about UFC 296, including channel, time, and card.
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, the main card is on TNT Sports Box Office and will cost £19.99.
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| 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.
When is UFC 296: Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington?
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 |
WATCH: UFC 296: Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington, exclusively on ESPN+
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
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