UFC: Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington UFC 296 betting details

The number four ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC will attempt to make his second title defence at UFC 296. The champ will step into the octagon with the number three ranked welterweight. Now that former champion Kamaru Usman is out of the title picture, this fight will determine who is the new top guy in the division. UFC betting sites are giving both fighters a great shot in the fight. Only one will walk away with the title.

Fight details

Leon Edwards will fight Colby Covington at UFC 296 on December 16 in Las Vegas. This fight is the main event. Edwards is a slight betting favourite heading into this fight on the sportsbooks. He has -130 odds to defend his title on Bodog. Covington, the number three ranked welterweight, is the underdog ahead of this bout. He has +109 odds to win. This fight is for the UFC welterweight championship. Edwards has a 21-3 professional MMA record. Covington has a 17-3 professional MMA record.

Colby “Chaos” Covington

Colby Covington is recognized as one of the top welterweights in the UFC today. Since losing to Warlley Alves by submission at UFC 194 in 2015, Covington has only lost two fights in the UFC. Both of his losses were to former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, who is considered one of the best welterweights of the past decade. Covington is 9-0 in fights against everyone else since 2016. The last time he fought was against Jorge Masvidal in 2022, a unanimous decision victory.

There are a few reasons to back Covington in this fight. One of the biggest reasons to bet on Covington here is because of his wrestling. Although Edwards defended a lot of Usman’s takedown attempts in their third fight at UFC 286, he was taken down a lot during the second fight at UFC 278. Covington will have a great shot if he can take Edwards down consistently throughout the fight. This will put Edwards in a tough spot because Covington is no slouch in the striking department. Another reason to bet on Covington is because of his cardio and ability to put pressure on fighters. Edwards will need to be strong on defence for the entire fight. If not, Covington’s pressure could put him in a great spot to finish the fight late if he can find a way to hurt Edwards.

Leon “Rocky” Edwards

Leon Edwards’ last fight was a victory over former champ Kamaru Usman. Edwards is now recognized as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC. With that in mind, this fight does not look like it will be an easy one for Edwards. Edwards has victories over Usman and Rafael Dos Anjos, but the rest of his UFC wins are not overly impressive. He has also been hurt in previous fights and was losing his second fight against Usman before winning by KO.

This fight will be a great chance for Edwards to cement himself as the new top welterweight in the UFC. Edwards has a lot of tools that can help him walk away with a victory in this one. He is a versatile striker, has knockout power, and showed improved takedown defence in his last fight against Usman. If his takedown defence holds up against Covington, Edwards has a good shot to win this fight. One of the biggest concerns if you want to back Edwards is his style. Whenever someone prefers to strike rather than wrestle or grapple, there is almost always a chance for their opponent to knock them out. As Edwards proved in his third fight against Usman, all it takes is one punch or kick for a fight to completely change or end.

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