UFC 296 arrived on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, the final (and frankly solid, on paper) UFC event of the calendar year.
Headlining the show, welterweight champ Leon Edwards, undefeated since 2015, in what had become a grudge match with controversy magnet Colby Covington. For all of Covington’s foibles and heavy-handed attempts to sell fights the pro wrestling heel way, none landed with such a thud as his suggestion to Edwards this week that he’d drag the champ to hell— where Edwards’ late father would be waiting.
Edwards lost his dad at all of 13, when his father was gunned down inside a British nightclub. Any number of fans and fellow fighters have suggested Covington crossed the line ahead of UFC 296, and he went so far as to edit the clip out of his own highlight reel package following Thursday’s press conference.
Notably, Colby has cut the comment about seeing Edwards' dad in hell (Leon's father was murdered when he was a kid) from his own press conference highlights package. Left in the Garry-wife stuff. #UFC296 https://t.co/mZlMRp3M5R
— Jay 🎄nderson 🇨🇦 (@CageSideJay) December 15, 2023
In the co-main event at UFC 296, meanwhile, was a much less tumultuous affair, but one no less promising. In the first defense of his flyweight title, Alexandre Pantoja would take on Brandon Royval in a rematch— with Pantoja winning their first meeting.
A hotly anticipated match-up between the ever-popular Tony Ferguson and British star Paddy Pimblett was also featured on the main card. Plus a tantalizing welterweight showdown between Stephen Thompson and Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Following UFC 296, tune in for the final post-fight press conference of 2023. A live stream is available in the embed above.
