UFC 296 -- Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington: Fight card, date, rumors, odds, location, complete guide

Two title fights and a ton of action are the selling points for UFC's final pay-per-view of the year

By Shakiel Mahjouri

Dec 5, 2023 at 2:28 pm ET • 2 min read

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The year is coming to an end and UFC has one pay-per-view left on its 2023 calendar. Welterweight champion Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington headlines the Dec. 16 card in Las Vegas with support from Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval for the flyweight crown.

It's been a long, long time since Edwards has tasted defeat. England's second UFC champion is unbeaten dating back to a 2015 setback against Kamaru Usman that he has since avenged twice. The trilogy is behind him and Edwards looks ahead to new challenges. It feels like Covington has curried favor with UFC matchmakers, being granted a third undisputed title shot despite his flimsy case. Covington is 3-2 with wins over three fighters who have since retired. Covington's most impressive performances were arguably close, losing efforts to Usman in title fights.

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Pantoja vs. Royval should be an action-packed co-main event. Pantoja captured the flyweight championship from Brandon Moreno in a grueling five-round split decision at UFC 290 that earned Fight of the Night honors. Royval is on a three-fight winning streak since losing to Pantoja with back-to-back bonuses.

The undercard is loaded up with big names looking to make a big splash. Rising welterweight contender Shavkat Rakmonov is back as he takes on former title challenger and de facto divisional gatekeeper Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson. Plus, Paddy Pimblett looks to bounce back from injury when he makes his lone walk to the Octagon in 2023 against lightweight veteran Tony Ferguson. And more top welterweights collide to open the PPV when Ian Machado Garry takes on Vicente Luque.

Below is the complete fight card for UFC 296 along with the latest odds. Check back all week long for the latest news, features and other content around this massive event.