It’s official: Leon Edwards, the reigning UFC welterweight champ, initially set for UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden, is now confirmed by UFC President Dana White to headline UFC 296 against Colby Covington, marking the ‘last event of the year.’ Additionally, White revealed the other fights on the card, confirming Conor McGregor’s absence from any events this year as it was reported he might be headlining the UFC 296 event. Let’s delve into the fighter lineup for this anticipated event.
UFC 296 Lineup: Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington Announced, Conor McGregor Absent
After his loss to Kamaru Usman, who he had previously defeated to become the champion at UFC 286 in March, “Rocky” hasn’t participated in any fights. Meanwhile, Dana White revealed that Colby Covington, who served as the backup fighter for UFC 286, is now scheduled to face Edwards for the welterweight title in December, set to take place in Las Vegas.
Announcing the fight he stated, “At UFC 296 on Dec. 16 in Las Vegas, Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington will headline our last pay-per-view of the year with the welterweight title on the line. The champ hasn’t lost a fight in eight years and he’s coming off wins over the greatest welterweight of all time, Kamaru Usman. He is defending his title against Colby Covington, a relentless pressure fighter with unstoppable cardio.”
White further announced that at UFC 296’s co-main event, UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja will go up against No. 4 contender Brandon Royval. Flyweight champion, known for his aggressive style, has won 18 fights decisively and is ready for his first title defense after beating Brandon Moreno twice. On the flip side, Royval’s only losses in the UFC were against Pantoja and Moreno, the past division champions. And coming with an impressive winning streak we expect to see an exciting co-main fight.
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The recently announced fight for UFC 296 is generating a lot of buzz for its intense showdown. However, confirming earlier reports, it’s now official that McGregor won’t grace any events this year. Fans will have to patiently await his return in the coming year. Nonetheless, there’s a roster of exciting events as the year progresses that we should eagerly anticipate.
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