UFC 296
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | ufc |
UFC 296: Edwards vs. Covington was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, taking place on December 16, 2023, at the T-Mobile Arena located in Paradise, Nevada, within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States.
Background
The main event featured a UFC Welterweight Championship clash between the defending titleholder Leon Edwards and the former interim champion Colby Covington. Belal Muhammad was designated as the official backup for this championship contest.
A contest for the UFC Flyweight Championship showcased reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja facing off against former LFA Flyweight Champion Brandon Royval. These fighters had previously met in August 2021, where Pantoja secured victory by submission. The former two-time titleholder Brandon Moreno served as the alternate for this fight.
Initially planned was a featherweight matchup between ex-interim challenger Josh Emmett and Giga Chikadze, but due to Chikadze’s injury withdrawal, he was substituted by Bryce Mitchell.
Two welterweight bouts—Ian Machado Garry versus Vicente Luque, and Randy Brown against Muslim Salikhov—were both called off shortly before the event because of illnesses affecting the fighters.
Strickland-du Plessis altercation
At the event, UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland and his challenger Dricus du Plessis were seated just two rows apart as arranged by Dana White. During a heated verbal exchange, Strickland gestured for nearby attendees to clear space before physically confronting du Plessis. The scuffle was promptly interrupted, with Strickland being removed from the venue. Despite the incident, du Plessis opted not to file any legal action.
Bonus awards
The following competitors were awarded $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa
- Performance of the Night: Josh Emmett, Ariane Lipski, and Shamil Gaziev