Welterweight champion Leon Edwards made UFC 296 a night to remember, thanks to his resounding victory over Colby Covington. The final main event of the year for the mixed martial arts fighting competition also featured some other significant contests including Paddy Pimblett facing off against Tony Ferguson where the young Englishman emerged triumphant. Let’s take a look at the highlights of the night and break down the UFC 296 main card results.
Main event highlights from UFC 296
Leon Edwards continued his 12-game unbeaten streak and an overall record of 22-3 as he effortlessly defended his welterweight title against Colby Covington, who returned from a 19-month layoff. The contest was mostly one-sided as Edwards dominated the ring with pure grappling intention, refusing to finish off Covington.
In the co-main event, Alexandre Pantoja dominated the flyweight division as he secured a massive victory over Brandon Royval. The 33-year-old Brazilian fighter proved his mettle on the big stage to retain his title through a unanimous decision in the UFC 296 card.
Other main card fight highlights
Shavkat Rakhmonov also continued his undefeated streak at 18-0, against Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson. The second-round submission defeat was the first time Thompson lost by submission in his pro career. In the featherweight matchup, Josh Emmett knocked out Bryce Mitchell in less than two minutes.
Former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson lost his seventh consecutive fight, this time to rising superstar Paddy Pimblett. The fight sparked a debate on social media as some raised questions about Ferguson’s form while others criticized Pimblett for not being able to finish an exhausted opponent.
All results of the UFC 296 main card
| Fighter 1 | Fighter 2 | Winner | Method | Score/Round time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leon Edwards | Colby Covington | Edwards | Unanimous Decision | 49-46, 49-46, 49-46 |
| Alexandre Pantoja | Brandon Royval | Pantoja | Unanimous Decision | 50-45, 50-45, 49-46 |
| Shavkat Rakhmonov | Stephen Thompson | Rakhmonov | Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) | 4:56 of Round 2 |
| Paddy Pimblett | Tony Ferguson | Pimblett | Unanimous Decision | 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 |
| Josh Emmett | Bryce Mitchell | Emmett | KO (Right Hand) | 1:57 of Round 1 |
Leon Edwards attacks Colby Covington in interview
The reigning welterweight champion used his post-win interview to lash out at his opponent for getting too personal during his pre-fight comments. Colby Covington had expressed some distasteful comments about Leon Edwards’ late father and his tragic death.
Edwards spoke about how this took an emotional toll on him and he managed to remain focused on his performance. The fighter revealed why he did not finish off Covington since Edwards is the superior athlete and technician among the two and labeled him a dirty human being for his words.
