After falling short of two previous occasions, Colby Covington will get a third shot at the UFC welterweight title later this year.
It was confirmed by UFC CEO Dana White on Wednesday that Leon Edwards will defend his 170-pound crown against Covington in the main event of UFC 296 on December 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The vent will be co-headlined by a flyweight title rematch between champion Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval.
🚨 HUGE FIGHT NEWS 🚨
November’s #UFC295 co-main event will be @Jiri_BJP vs @AlexPereiraUFC for the vacant light heavyweight title!
AND your #UFC296 headliners will be @Leon_EdwardsMMA vs @ColbyCovMMA, with Alexandre Pantoja vs @BrandonRoyval serving as the co-main! pic.twitter.com/GTD5pnd1BD
— UFC (@ufc) September 21, 2023
The bout will serve as Edwards’ second defence of his championship after he previously outpointed former champion Kamaru Usman in London in March — a bout which followed his August 2022 head kick knockout of the previously dominant champion. Edwards is undefeated in the cage in eight years.
Covington, meanwhile, will arrive into the fight having not fought since a March 2022 decision win against Jorge Masvidal. The American wrestler is 2-2 in his past four, having wins over Masvidal and Tyron Woodley along with two defeats to Usman.
White also confirmed that former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka will return in the UFC 295 co-main event against Alex Pereira to contest the 205-pound division’s vacant title. The division has been without a champion since Jamahal Hill relinquished the belt earlier this year after suffering an achilles injury; the second champion to do so in succession after Prochazka stepped away from the belt following a serious shoulder problem last year.
