Colby Covington is all set to have another try at the welterweight title at UFC 296 on December 16. Headlining the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, ‘Chaos’ will challenge the current 170 lbs titlist Leon Edwards.
Following his win over Jorge Masvidal in March 2022, Colby Covington suffered an illegal beatdown on the streets from his in-cage opponent. It was reported that Masvidal wrongly attacked Covington after the UFC loss which left ‘Chaos’ attending medical care. After over a year-long hiatus, Colby Covington is back in the cage and will appear in the last UFC event of 2024.
In a career of 17 wins and three losses, Covington has failed in both title attempts against Kamaru Usman. Now that he is gearing up for the third title fight, Leon Edwards stands in the way.
Leon Edwards has been undefeated for eight years. After losing to Kamaru Usman in 2015, ‘Rocky has never lost again. Moreover, he became the welterweight champion by knocking out Kamaru Usman and avenging his past defeat at UFC 278. Edwards also defended the title by beating Usman on the decision at UFC 286 and is now 2-1 over ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ . Meanwhile, Colby Covington is 0-2 against Usman.
Also Read | Leon Edwards Networth and Career Earnings: How Much Did ‘Rocky’ Edwards Make In and Out The UFC?
UFC 296: Colby Covington and Leon Edwards Comparison
35-year-old Colby Covington is 5’11” with a reach of 72” and possesses the orthodox stance. His opponent seems to have advantages in all those brackets, at least on the paper.
Aged 32, Edwards is a southpaw. Meanwhile, he is 6’2” tall and has a reach of 74”. Hence, he can physically dominate the bout under many circumstances. Boasting off a 23-2-1(NC) Pro-record, Edwards also has more fight experience than Covington. However, Covington can be sheerly dangerous for the champion, stylistically.
Colby Covington is a high-level wrestler who is also a power puncher. Kamaru Usman came across sheer trouble during his fight against ‘Chaos’ Covington. Besides, Colby Covington doesn’t hesitate to trade punches. It is extremely demanding to crack the American star.
While Leon Edwards was hesitant to offer the title shot to Covington, Dana White ensured the American fighter’s entrance. UFC 296 is a satcked card with two title fights. After Edwards vs Covington, Alexandre Pantoja will defend his flyweight title against Brandon Rovyal. There’s no way fight fans should miss out on this card.
