UFC 296: Edwards vs. Covington Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC 296: Edwards vs. Covington
United States
Main Card • Final
England
R5, 5:00
Title Fight
Brazil
R5, 5:00
Title Fight
Kazakhstan
R2, 4:56
R3, 5:00
R1, 1:57
Performance of the Night
Prelims • Final
R3, 5:00
Mexico
R3, 5:00
Fight of the Night
R1, 3:42
R2, 1:18
Performance of the Night
Australia
Early Prelims • Final
Russia
R2, 4:25
R1, 3:32
Bahrain
R2, 0:56
Performance of the Night
Slovakia
Official Event Results
Title Bout
Title Bout
$50k FOTN
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Fight of the Night: Irene Aldana and Karol Rosa earned $50,000 each for their unrelenting three-round bantamweight war, setting the promotional record for the most combined significant strikes in division history.
Performance of the Night: Josh Emmett earned $50,000 for a devastating, one-punch first-round knockout over Bryce Mitchell.
Performance of the Night: Ariane Lipski collected $50,000 for a slick second-round armbar submission over top contender Casey O’Neill.
Performance of the Night: Shamil Gaziev was awarded $50,000 for his dominant promotional debut, securing a second-round TKO of Martin Buday.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — |
*Purses for UFC 296 were not officially released to the public by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Listed performance bonus figures ($50,000 each) were officially announced and distributed by the UFC. Undisclosed contract base amounts and win bonuses are designated with — in strict compliance with commission confidentiality rules.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC 296
Tony Ferguson suffered his seventh consecutive promotional defeat against Paddy Pimblett, tying former two-division champion B.J. Penn for the longest losing streak in UFC history.
Karol Rosa connected with 95 significant leg kicks against Irene Aldana, setting the all-time UFC women’s single-fight record and the second-most in any fight in UFC history.
Irene Aldana (145) and Karol Rosa (204) combined for 349 significant strikes over three rounds, establishing the highest combined significant strike count in UFC women’s bantamweight history.
Josh Emmett scored his 12th career knockdown in the featherweight division with his first-round stoppage of Bryce Mitchell, tying Jeremy Stephens for the all-time division record.
Shavkat Rakhmonov extended his unblemished professional record to 18-0 with 18 stoppage finishes, becoming the only active fighter in UFC history to open their career with six straight finishes.
Two-time title challenger Stephen Thompson was submitted for the first time in his 25-fight professional MMA and 58-fight professional kickboxing career by Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Colby Covington joined Kenny Florian, Joseph Benavidez, and Alexander Gustafsson as one of only four fighters in UFC history to compete in three undisputed title bouts without winning the belt.
Alexandre Pantoja controlled Brandon Royval on the mat for 15 minutes and 51 seconds, registering the third-highest ground control time in UFC flyweight title history.
Leon Edwards pushed his unbeaten streak to 13 bouts (12 wins, 1 NC), standing behind only Kamaru Usman (15) for the longest unbeaten streak in UFC welterweight history.
Paddy Pimblett earned his fifth consecutive Octagon victory with a dominant unanimous decision over Tony Ferguson, tying the longest active win streak in the lightweight division.
Martin Buday suffered his first loss inside the Octagon (and first professional loss in over six years), halting a four-fight promotional win streak at the hands of newcomer Shamil Gaziev.
UFC 296 drew 19,039 spectators and achieved a $9,300,000 gate, concluding the UFC’s 2023 calendar with the third-highest gate across the entire combat sports landscape for the year.
When and where did UFC 296: Edwards vs. Covington take place?
UFC 296: Edwards vs. Covington took place on Saturday, December 16, 2023, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada (Las Vegas metropolitan area).
Who won the main event between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington?
Leon Edwards successfully defended the UFC Welterweight Championship by defeating Colby Covington via unanimous decision (49–46, 49–46, 49–46).
Who won the co-main event flyweight title fight?
UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja retained his title by defeating Brandon Royval via unanimous decision (50–45, 50–45, 49–46) in their five-round championship rematch.
How did Shavkat Rakhmonov defeat Stephen Thompson?
Shavkat Rakhmonov defeated Stephen Thompson via rear-naked choke submission at 4:56 of Round 2, handing “Wonderboy” the very first submission defeat of his combat sports career.
What was the result of Paddy Pimblett vs. Tony Ferguson?
Paddy Pimblett defeated Tony Ferguson via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27), dominating the former interim champion across all three rounds.
What happened in the fight between Josh Emmett and Bryce Mitchell?
Josh Emmett scored a stunning first-round knockout (punch) at 1:57 of Round 1, landing an overhand right that earned him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
Who won the official post-fight bonuses at UFC 296?
Five fighters earned $50,000 post-fight bonuses: Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa (Fight of the Night), and Josh Emmett, Ariane Lipski, and Shamil Gaziev (Performance of the Night).
Why was Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa awarded Fight of the Night?
The preliminary bout produced a record-shattering 349 combined significant strikes, with Karol Rosa landing 95 significant leg kicks and Aldana landing 122 head strikes in a thrilling three-round war.
What were the official attendance and live gate figures for UFC 296?
UFC 296 drew an announced sellout attendance of 19,039 fans, producing an official live gate of $9,300,000 at T-Mobile Arena.
What occurred between Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis in the crowd?
UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland attacked challenger Dricus du Plessis cageside during the event, sparking a brawl in the stands before security intervened and escorted Strickland out.
Why was Vicente Luque vs. Ian Machado Garry cancelled from the card?
The welterweight bout was scrapped during fight week after Ian Machado Garry contracted pneumonia and was medically ruled out of the event.
What UFC record did Tony Ferguson tie at UFC 296?
Following his loss to Paddy Pimblett, Tony Ferguson tied B.J. Penn for the longest consecutive losing streak in UFC history (7).
How did Cody Garbrandt defeat Brian Kelleher?
Former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt secured a vintage first-round knockout (punch) at 3:42 of Round 1 against Brian Kelleher on the preliminary card.
Who called the fights at UFC 296?
The broadcast was anchored by play-by-play lead Jon Anik alongside color analysts Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier, with Bruce Buffer serving as the Octagon announcer.
How did Shamil Gaziev perform in his UFC debut?
Undefeated heavyweight Shamil Gaziev dominated Martin Buday, securing a second-round TKO (punches) at 0:56 to hand Buday his first promotional defeat and earn a Performance of the Night bonus.
UFC news
