[[LIVE/STREAM]] UFC 296 ppv Live Free Broadcast ON 16 December 2023
UFC 296, headlined by the bout between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington airs live on Saturday, Dec.16, 2023 (12/16/23) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Leon Edwards is set for one of the biggest fights of his career when he defends his UFC welterweight title against fierce rival Colby Covington this evening. How to watch UFC 296 (12/16/23): LIVE STREAM, time, TV, fight card for Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington
Click Here to Watch UFC 296 Full Fight Live Online
The final UFC event of 2023 is almost upon us and it could well be a real highlight of the year as Leon Edwards and Colby Covington go head-to-head for the welterweight championship belt.
It’s a jam-packed schedule for UFC 296 on December 16, with two championship bouts and some excellent fights that’ll close the year with a real bang.
For MMA fans, it’s almost like Christmas has come early, and millions worldwide will be tuning in. So, if that sounds like a good plan to you, here’s all you need to know about watching and live streaming UFC 296.
Here’s what you need to know:
What: UFC 296
Main Event: Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington
When: Saturday, Dec.16, 2023
Where: T-Mobile Arena
Main Card Time: 10 p.m. ET
Prelim time: 8 p.m. ET
The last UFC pay-per-view card of the year takes place Saturday, and welterweight champion Leon Edwards said the man trying to take his belt doesn’t deserve to be in the octagon that night.
Edwards pointed to the fights already lost by the third-ranked challenger Colby Covington, most notably falling short in two previous shots at the belt. But, Edwards acknowledged, that will mean little this weekend at UFC 296.
“We’re here now and all that matters is Saturday night, going out there and taking him out,” Edwards said. “I’m focused fully on that. Whether he deserves it or not doesn’t matter because he’s fighting anyway for the belt and that’s my aim.”
Covington, wearing a jacket with “Make America Great Again” on its sleeves and a photo of former President Donald Trump on the back, made sure to get Edwards’ attention at the pre-fight news conference.
Leon Edwards record and bio
Nationality: British
Date of birth: August 25, 1991
Height: 6' 0"
Reach: 74"
Total fights: 24
Record: 21-3-0
Colby Covington record and bio
Nationality: American
Date of birth: February 22, 1988
Height: 5' 11"
Reach: 72"
Total fights: 20
Record: 17-3-0
UFC 296 fight card
Main card
Leon Edwards (c) vs. Colby Covington for the UFC welterweight title
Alexandre Pantoja (c) vs. Brandon Royval 2 for the UFC flyweight title
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson; Welterweights
Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett; Lightweights
Josh Emmet vs. Bryce Mitchell; Featherweights
Prelims
Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa; Bantamweights
Cody Garbrandt vs. Brian Kelleher; Bantamweights
Casey O'Neill vs. Ariane Lipski; Flyweights
Alonzo Menifield vs. Dustin Jacoby; Light Heavyweights
Early Prelims
Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Cody Durden; Flyweights
Andre Fili vs. Lucas Almeida; Featherweights
Martin Buday vs. Shamil Gaziev; Heavyweights
He questioned the champ’s intelligence and heart, and said the Jamaican-born Edwards (21-3) who grew up in the United Kingdom insulted British fans by not taking this fight on English soil. The 35-year-old Covington (17-3) said he looked forward to Trump, who is expected to attend, putting the championship belt around his waist after the fight.
Edwards, 32, didn’t appear to take any bait from the insults Covington hurled his way, chalking much of it up to pre-fight hype. Covington will enter the octagon for the first time since March 5, 2022, a unanimous decision over Jorge Masvidal. This is only his fifth bout since 2019.
The flyweight title is on the line in the co-main event between champion Alexandre Pantoja (26-5) of Brazil and second-ranked challenger Brandon Royval (15-6) of Denver. The two met Aug. 21, 2021, with Pantoja choking out Royval in the second round. But Royval then won three consecutive fights, the last two in the first round, to set up the rematch.
The British fighter has been champion since beating Kamaru Usman in 2022, and made his first defence of the title with victory in the rematch in London earlier this year. Edwards now travels to Las Vegas to take on Covington, who sparked an on-stage confrontation between the pair at the press conference after insulting Edwards' late father.
The 35-year-old American has twice lost to Usman when fighting for the welterweight championship, and has not been in action since beating Jorge Masvidal in March last year. Covington wore a 'Make America Great Again' hat during the press conference, and has claimed that Donald Trump will put the belt on him should he defeat Edwards.
Covington is 2-2 in his last four fights and is 0-2 when competing for the UFC welterweight title. "Chaos" went on a seven-fight win streak that saw him become a force in combat sports, beating Demian Maia, Rafael dos Anjos, and Robbie Lawler. He believes Edwards had an easy path to welterweight gold compared to him, separating his skills from the English fighter.
Edwards has been with the UFC since 2014. "Rocky" had a real-life "Rocky" moment after knocking out Kamaru Usman at the last minute to win the UFC welterweight title. His record includes wins against Donald Cerrone, Rafael Dos Anjos, Nate Diaz, and Usman (2x). Edwards faces an All-American wrestler in Covington but believes his opponent's level of competition at the time they happened shouldn't give him credibility.
The headlining bout will see Leon Edwards attempt to defend his welterweight title for the second time when he faces former interim titleholder Colby Covington. It’s been nearly two years since fans last saw Covington step into the Octagon, but he’ll be hoping that a third title shot will see him upset Edwards and finally claim undisputed UFC gold.
Shavkat Rakhmonov will also try to extend his unbeaten record when he meets two-time title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, and former interim champion Tony Ferguson will attempt to snap his seven-fight losing streak in a matchup with Paddy Pimblett.
The main card did take a significant hit with the loss of Ian Machado Garry vs. Vicente Luque, but luckily the featured prelim bout between Josh Emmett and Bryce Mitchell is an excellent replacement to kick off the PPV.