{"id":297954,"date":"2023-12-12T23:25:13","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T23:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=297954"},"modified":"2023-12-12T23:25:13","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T23:25:13","slug":"ufc-296-preview-edwards-and-covington-prepare-to-battle-it-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/mma\/ufc-296-preview-edwards-and-covington-prepare-to-battle-it-out\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC 296 PREVIEW: Edwards and Covington prepare to battle it out"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1> UFC 296 PREVIEW: Leon Edwards and Colby Covington prepare to battle it out for the UFC welterweight title&#8230; but what do the stats say ahead of the thrilling event in Las Vegas?<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>This weekend, Leon Edwards and Colby Covington will battle for the UFC title\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Here, Mail Sport analyses the match-up between the two welterweight stars\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Paddy &#8216;The Baddy&#8217; Pimblett MUST seize his moment in the UFC 296 limelight after seeing his career stutter &#8211; The Hook\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This weekend, scores will finally get settled as Leon Edwards and Colby Covington face-off in a bout for the UFC&#8217;s welterweight title.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It comes after months of back-and-forth between the two stars, who will share the octagon in UFC 296&#8217;s main event on Saturday night in Las Vegas.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The fight will be just Edwards&#8217; second defence of the welterweight title having already beaten former champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 286 earlier this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Covington had weighed in as the back-up fighter for that bout but the opportunity to face-off with Edwards never materialised &#8211; until this weekend!\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So, here, Mail Sport takes a look at the stats behind both fighters ahead of one of the most highly-anticipated UFC cards of the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/12\/12\/12\/78865479-12854199-image-a-25_1702383786051.jpg\" height=\"469\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Leon Edwards will look to defend his UFC welterweight title at UFC 296 on Saturday night<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/12\/12\/21\/78865515-12854199-American_s_Colby_Covington_will_be_looking_to_upset_the_British_-a-16_1702415150004.jpg\" height=\"425\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>American&#8217;s Colby Covington will be looking to upset the British star in Las Vegas<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/12\/12\/21\/78862845-12854199-The_stats_suggest_that_Edwards_has_an_advantage_heading_into_the-a-17_1702415150005.jpg\" height=\"634\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The stats suggest that Edwards has an advantage heading into the thrilling bout\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Welterweight has quickly become one of the most exciting divisions in the UFC and it&#8217;s largely due to the impressive performances of Edwards in the last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In August 2022, he claimed became the second British champion ever in the organisation after producing an iconic head-kick against Usman.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s no secret that Edwards was on the cusp of a brutal defeat, after four dominant rounds from Usman, however produced the win after the stunning kick late on.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It was a crucial victory for Edwards, who&#8217;s last defeat in the UFC was against Usman when they first met back in December 2015 &#8211; where he lost via unanimous decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In total,\u00a0Edwards has 16 UFC fights and is on a 12-fight unbeaten streak. He\u2019s 11-0 with one no contest in that stretch.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Seven of those victories have come via TKO\/KO, three via submission and the rest via judges scorecards.<\/p>\n<p>He followed his victory over Usman last year with a dominant display against the &#8216;Nigerian Nightmare&#8217; at UFC 286 in London in March &#8211; where he won via majority decision, despite having a point deducted during the bout.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>His impressive performances have helped him become ranked No. 4 in the UFC&#8217;s Pound-For-Pound fighter list &#8211; with only Islam Makhachev, Jon Jones and Alexander Volkanovski above him.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, Edwards is both taller and boasts a longer reach than his American counterpart &#8211; which is likely to play in his advantage on Saturday night.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/12\/12\/21\/78875475-12854199-Edwards_has_recorded_back_to_back_wins_over_Kamaru_Usman_in_the_-a-18_1702415150007.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Edwards has recorded back-to-back wins over Kamaru Usman in the build-up to the fight<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/12\/12\/21\/78875571-12854199-Covington_meanwhile_has_won_two_of_his_three_bouts_since_2020_af-a-19_1702415150008.jpg\" height=\"425\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Covington, meanwhile, has won two of his three bouts since 2020 &#8211; after defeat to Usman<\/p>\n<p>Covington, in contrast to Edwards, has not stepped foot inside the octagon since March 2022 &#8211; when he recorded an emphatic KO victory against Jorge Masvidal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It was a crucial victory for Covington, who had suffered two defeats to Usman in his three bouts prior to fighting Masvidal at UFC 272.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As previously mentioned,\u00a0Covington weighed in as the alternate for that fight in London and was then declared next in line by UFC chief Dana White.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The American boasts a 17-3 professional MMA record &#8211; with 15 of those fights coming in the UFC. His three defeats have come against Usman twice and\u00a0Warlley Alves.<\/p>\n<p>While Covington is rarely praised for his technique and finesse, the 35-year-old boasts incredible cardio &#8211; which many have tipped to be his secret weapon in the bout.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>His tireless attitude coupled with his immense power makes him a tricky customer for any welterweight candidate &#8211; with Edwards the latest to try his luck.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Stats also show that Covington lands 70 per cent of his strikes to the head of his opponent, as he looks to increase his wins via KO from four.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The one aspect that will likely play in Edwards&#8217; favour is the lengthy period of time in which Covington has been inactive.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>With just three fights since 2020, the American could certainly find that &#8216;ring rust&#8217; comes into play when facing off with the welterweight champion.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/12\/12\/21\/78872465-12854199-Paddy_The_Baddy_Pimblett_is_also_in_action_the_main_card_on_Satu-a-20_1702415150009.jpg\" height=\"425\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Paddy &#8216;The Baddy&#8217; Pimblett is also in action the main card on Saturday night in Sin City<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/12\/12\/21\/78873127-12854199-The_stats_suggest_that_it_ll_be_an_even_match_up_between_the_Bri-a-21_1702415150010.jpg\" height=\"636\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The stats suggest that it&#8217;ll be an even match-up between the British star and the American<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere on the card, British star Paddy &#8216;The Baddy&#8217; Pimblett and Tony Ferguson will face-off in highly-anticipated lightweight bout.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Paddy &#8216;The Baddy&#8217; will return to the octagon for the first time since his contentious win over Jared Gordon in December 2022 &#8211; where he snuck a victory via unanimous decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>His opponent, Ferguson, is known as a veteran in the UFC however has endured a difficult run in recent years and, heading into the bout, has lost six in a row.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Given Pimblett&#8217;s dubious victory last time out and Ferguson&#8217;s disastrous losing streak, it&#8217;s a difficult bout to call.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The stats say that Pimblett will likely be the bigger man on the night however Ferguson will boast a much larger reach than his Liverpudlian counterpart.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Fans can expect a thrilling bout between the lightweight stars, who both have a tendency to display their striking and boxing skills inside the octagon.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The stats show that both fighters have a tendency to aim for their opponent&#8217;s head, as opposed to body shots or leg kicks, suggesting it&#8217;ll be a thrilling striking affair.<\/p>\n<p>Ahead of the fight, Mail Sport&#8217;s Alex McCarthy and Charlotte Daly have suggested that Pimblett &#8216;has to make a statement&#8217; during his bout with Ferguson.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/12\/12\/21\/78872491-12854199-UFC_veteran_Tony_Ferguson_is_coming_into_the_fight_on_a_six_bout-a-22_1702415150011.jpg\" height=\"425\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>UFC veteran Tony Ferguson is coming into the fight on a six-bout losing streak<\/p>\n<p>Speaking on The Hook, McCarthy said: &#8216;Heralded as like the next Conor McGregor\u00a0in many ways, I think it is fair to say his career has kind of stuttered the last couple of fights.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Yeah, he\u2019s got the victories, but they weren\u2019t as emphatic or as impressive as he really needed at this point. Fighting a lightweight legend like\u00a0Ferguson, on a five or six fight skid or not, this is a real shop window for Pimblett&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>In agreement, Daly said: &#8216;I think\u00a0this will be a test for the fact that Ferguson is by far the most experienced and notable fighter that Paddy &#8216;The Baddy&#8217; has fought. So of course, when there\u2019s experience that comes into play, it gives them an element that perhaps he hasn\u2019t seen in the past.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;So I think it will be exciting. I do think that Paddy has to make a statement. And I think\u00a0he will make a statement&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2023\/10\/25\/The%20Hook_Promo_Desktop.636.png\"><br \/>\nSource: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/mma\/article-12854199\/UFC-296-PREVIEW-Leon-Edwards-Colby-Covington-prepare-battle-UFC-welterweight-title-stats-say-ahead-thrilling-event-Las-Vegas.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>UFC 296 PREVIEW: Leon Edwards and Colby Covington prepare to battle it out for the UFC welterweight title&#8230; but what do the stats say ahead <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/mma\/ufc-296-preview-edwards-and-covington-prepare-to-battle-it-out\/\" title=\"UFC 296 PREVIEW: Edwards and Covington prepare to battle it out\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":297953,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>UFC 296 PREVIEW: Edwards and Covington prepare to battle it out - Sportstoft<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/mma\/ufc-296-preview-edwards-and-covington-prepare-to-battle-it-out\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UFC 296 PREVIEW: Edwards and Covington prepare to battle it out - Sportstoft\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"UFC 296 PREVIEW: Leon Edwards and Colby Covington prepare to battle it out for the UFC welterweight title&#8230; 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