Saturday, December 16, 2023T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, United States
Leon Edwards defeated Colby Covington by Unanimous Decision in round 5 (5:00) in the Welterweight title main event of UFC 296: Edwards vs Covington, held Saturday, December 16, 2023 at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. The judges scored it 49-46, 49-46, 49-46, Leon Edwards won the decision.
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Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington
Fight stats: totals
Same scale left and right on every row; the pale tail behind a bar is attempts
Leon EdwardsColby Covington
0
Knockdowns0
57 / 108
Significant strikes44 / 126
53%
Sig. strike accuracy35%
65 / 116
Total strikes109 / 194
2 / 3
Takedowns2 / 10
67%
Takedown accuracy20%
2
Submission attempts0
1
Reversals0
1:27
Control time5:04
Where it landed
Significant strikes landed by target in this fight
Leon EdwardsColby Covington
2137%2045%
Head
1425%716%
Body
2239%1739%
Leg
Where it happened
Share of fight time at distance, in the clinch and on the ground
76%18%
■ Distance■ Clinch■ Ground
Range × target
Significant strikes landed by range and target in this fight · landed / attempted in each cell
Leon Edwards57 landed
Head
Body
Leg
Distance
2020/61
1414/21
2222/25
Clinch
0
0
0
Ground
11/1
0
0
Colby Covington44 landed
Head
Body
Leg
Distance
2020/85
77/12
1717/28
Clinch
00/1
0
0
Ground
0
0
0
Round by round
Significant strikes landed per round · the judges' scores under each
Leon EdwardsColby Covington
R1
13
10
10-910-910-9
R2
18
13
10-910-910-9
R3
12
7
10-910-910-9
R4
11
13
10-910-910-9
R5
3
1
10-910-910-9
Bars share one scale across rounds. Each chip is one judge's score for the round, coloured by who they gave it to.
Round 1Judges: Leon Edwards
0
Knockdowns0
13 / 31
Significant strikes10 / 28
42%
Sig. strike accuracy36%
13 / 31
Total strikes10 / 28
0 / 0
Takedowns0 / 1
0:00
Control time0:00
Round 2Judges: Leon Edwards
0
Knockdowns0
18 / 27
Significant strikes13 / 36
67%
Sig. strike accuracy36%
18 / 27
Total strikes13 / 36
0 / 0
Takedowns0 / 0
0:00
Control time0:00
Round 3Judges: Leon Edwards
0
Knockdowns0
12 / 23
Significant strikes7 / 32
52%
Sig. strike accuracy22%
13 / 24
Total strikes13 / 38
1 / 2
Takedowns1 / 3
50%
Takedown accuracy33%
0:18
Control time0:34
Round 4Judges: Leon Edwards
0
Knockdowns0
11 / 22
Significant strikes13 / 26
50%
Sig. strike accuracy50%
11 / 22
Total strikes19 / 32
0 / 0
Takedowns0 / 5
1
Submission attempts0
1
Reversals0
0:11
Control time1:27
Round 5Judges: Colby Covington
0
Knockdowns0
3 / 5
Significant strikes1 / 4
60%
Sig. strike accuracy25%
10 / 12
Total strikes54 / 60
1 / 1
Takedowns1 / 1
100%
Takedown accuracy100%
1
Submission attempts0
0:58
Control time3:03
Judges' Scorecards
Media Scores
23
Leon Edwards
0
Colby Covington
●49-46 Edwards×21●50-45 Edwards●48-47 Edwards
All 23 media scorecards
- Scott Fontana · New York Post50-45Edwards
- Keith Shillan · Sherdog.com49-46Edwards
- Matthew Wells · MMAJunkie.com49-46Edwards
- Dan Urban · Couchside Judges49-46Edwards
- BloodyElbow.com49-46Edwards
- John Pollock · POST Wrestling49-46Edwards
- Michael DeSantis · MMASucka.com49-46Edwards
- Seán Sheehan · SevereMMA.com49-46Edwards
- Daniel Yanofsky · The Sporting News49-46Edwards
- Steve Duncan · mma.uno49-46Edwards
- Jake Noecker · Cageside Press49-46Edwards
- Dayne Fox · BloodyElbow.com49-46Edwards
- Jay Pettry · Sherdog.com49-46Edwards
- Ryan Frederick · WrestlingObserver.com49-46Edwards
- Drake Riggs · MMAMania.com49-46Edwards
- Danny Segura · MMAJunkie.com49-46Edwards
- Paul Fontaine · WrestlingObserver.com49-46Edwards
- Phil Murphy · ESPN49-46Edwards
- MMAMania.com49-46Edwards
- MMAJunkie.com49-46Edwards
- Scottie Smith · Sherdog.com49-46Edwards
- Ben Duffy · Sherdog.com49-46Edwards
- CombatPress.com48-47Edwards
Fan Scorecards
701 fan scorecards submitted
88%
Leon Edwards
1%
Draw
11%
Colby Covington
●49-46 Edwards57.2%●48-47 Edwards17.4%●50-45 Edwards10.3%●48-47 Covington6.7%
Fans' round-by-round verdict
R1
94%
Edwards
R2
97%
Edwards
R3
89%
Edwards
R4
70%
Edwards
R5
83%
Covington
Betting Odds
Leon Edwards
-156
61% implied win probability
Open: -133Best: -130
Colby Covington
+131
43% implied win probability
Open: +111Best: +155
Average moneyline across 9 sportsbooks.
Line Movement
| Sportsbook | Leon Edwards | Colby Covington |
|---|---|---|
| BetOnline | -157 | +137 |
| Betway | -130 | +105 |
| Bovada | -160 | +115 |
| Cloudbet | -156 | +140 |
| DraftKings | -166 | +136 |
| FanDuel | -162 | +136 |
| MyBookie | -160 | +140 |
| Pinnacle | -154 | +136 |
| SXBet | -161 | +155 |
| unibet | -167 | +135 |
Odds are for information only.
Build with this line: the same consensus odds, with opening and closing lines, are in the UFCalendar Fight API. Odds in the MMA Fight Data API
Insights
- Colby Covington lands 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes, more than 93% of UFC fighters.
- Leon Edwards's last two losses were both stopped early.
Style & credentials
Leon Edwards
KickboxingBJJ
- 2022Black belt · BJJThomas Bracher and Victor Estima (Gracie Barra)
- 2014BAMMA Welterweight ChampionshipBAMMA
Colby Covington
Folkstyle WrestlingNo-Gi Grappling
- 2023Black belt · BJJDaniel Valverde
- 2013Champion · Fila Grappling Worlds77 kg
- 2011All-American · NCAA D1174 lb
- 2007Champion · NJCAA165 lb
Sig. strikes by zone
Where each fighter lands, as a share of significant strikes
56%69%
Head
24%16%
Body
20%15%
Leg
Time in position
Share of fight time at distance, in the clinch and on the ground
Leon Edwardslast 6 fights
55%17%28%
Colby Covingtonlast 2 fights
72%20%
■ Distance■ Clinch■ Ground
How good, really
Each stat against every UFC fighter, in plain words
Leon Edwards· from fights outside the UFC Colby Covington· from fights outside the UFC
Strikes landed / min
2.603.81
PoorBelow avgAverageGoodElite
Leon Edwards · Below avg · better than 25% of UFC fightersColby Covington · Good · better than 63% of UFC fighters
Strikes taken / minfewer is better
2.443.09
PoorBelow avgAverageGoodElite
Leon Edwards · Good · better than 81% of UFC fightersColby Covington · Good · better than 61% of UFC fighters
Takedowns landed / 15 min
1.253.64
PoorBelow avgAverageGoodElite
Leon Edwards · Average · better than 52% of UFC fightersColby Covington · Elite · better than 93% of UFC fighters
Takedown accuracy
37%43%
PoorBelow avgAverageGoodElite
Leon Edwards · Average · better than 47% of UFC fightersColby Covington · Good · better than 61% of UFC fighters
Takedown defence
64%69%
PoorBelow avgAverageGoodElite
Leon Edwards · Average · better than 49% of UFC fightersColby Covington · Good · better than 62% of UFC fighters
Submission attempts / 15 min
0.400.20
PoorBelow avgAverageGoodElite
Leon Edwards · Average · better than 48% of UFC fightersColby Covington · Below avg · better than 32% of UFC fighters
Ranked against 1483 UFC fighters with five or more UFC fights.
Striking & grappling
Same scale left and right on every row
2.60
Strikes landed / min3.81
2.44
Strikes taken / minfewer is better3.09
1.25 / 3.4
Takedowns landed / 15 min3.64 / 8.5
37%
Takedown accuracy43%
64%
Takedown defence69%
3:41
Control time / fight7:21
0.40
Submission attempts / 15 min0.20
Bars in a row share one scale. The stronger side is solid; the pale tail behind takedowns is attempts.
Where the strikes land
Range × target
Leon Edwards20 UFC fights · 873 landed
Head
Body
Leg
Distance
40%353/964
16%139/194
19%170/187
Clinch
6%50/69
7%62/66
1%7/8
Ground
10%87/112
1%5/6
0%0/0
Colby Covington17 UFC fights · 1099 landed
Head
Body
Leg
Distance
54%592/2140
13%140/217
13%144/176
Clinch
5%60/97
3%30/44
2%17/18
Ground
10%111/159
0%4/4
0%1/1
Share of significant strikes landed by range and target · landed / attempted in each cell.
When it ends
Every early finish of their careers, placed at the minute it ended
Leon Edwards14 of 28 ended early · 50%14 went the distance
R1R2R3R4R5
1 early stoppage has no logged time
Colby Covington11 of 22 ended early · 50%11 went the distance
R1R2R3R4R5
finished the opponent got finished· placed at the minute the fight ended
Recent form · last 5
Leon Edwards2-3
- LVeChain UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs Makhachev · Nov 15, 2025TKO · R2 · 1:28 · Welterweight
- L
- LUFC 304: Edwards vs Muhammad 2 · Jul 28, 2024Unanimous Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- WUFC 296: Edwards vs Covington · Dec 16, 2023Unanimous Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- W
Full record · 29 fightsShow less
- W
- W
- NC
- WUFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs Edwards · Jul 20, 2019Unanimous Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- W
- WUFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs Edwards · Jun 24, 2018Unanimous Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- W
- WUFC Fight Night: Volkov vs Struve · Sep 2, 2017Unanimous Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- WUFC Fight Night: Manuwa vs Anderson · Mar 18, 2017Unanimous Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- W
- WUFC Fight Night: Overeem vs Arlovski · May 8, 2016Unanimous Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- LUFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs Cowboy 2 · Dec 19, 2015Unanimous Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- WUFC Fight Night: Bisping vs Leites · Jul 18, 2015Unanimous Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- W
- L
- WShaun TaylorBAMMA 16: Daley vs. da Rocha · Sep 13, 2014TKO · R3 · 3:30 · Welterweight
- WWayne MurrieBAMMA 15: Thompson vs. Selmani · Apr 5, 2014Submission · R1 · 3:13 · Welterweight
- WWendle LewisBAMMA 14: Daley vs. da Silva · Dec 14, 2013TKO · R1 · 1:20 · Welterweight
- WAdam BoussifBAMMA 13: Jones vs. Nunes · Sep 14, 2013Submission · R1 · 2:10 · Welterweight
- WJohnny BiltonBAMMA 11 · Dec 1, 2012TKO · R2 · 1:11 · Welterweight
- WCraig WhiteUnited Kingdom Regional · Nov 3, 2012
- LDelroy McDowellFight UK 6 · Feb 25, 2012DQ · R3 · 2:40 · Welterweight
- WPawel ZwiefkaFight UK 5 · Nov 19, 2011Unanimous Decision · Middleweight
- WDamian ZlotnickiFight UK 4 · Jun 5, 2011TKO · R1 · 2:15 · Welterweight
Colby Covington2-3
- L
- LUFC 296: Edwards vs Covington · Dec 16, 2023Unanimous Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- WUFC 272: Covington vs Masvidal · Mar 5, 2022Unanimous Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- LUFC 268: Usman vs Covington 2 · Nov 6, 2021Unanimous Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- W
Full record · 22 fightsShow less
- L
- WUFC Fight Night: Covington vs Lawler · Aug 3, 2019Unanimous Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- WUFC 225: Whittaker vs Romero · Jun 9, 2018Unanimous Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Interim Welterweight
- WUFC Fight Night: Brunson vs Machida · Oct 29, 2017Unanimous Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- WUFC Fight Night: Holm vs Correia · Jun 17, 2017Unanimous Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- WUFC Fight Night: VanZant vs Waterson · Dec 17, 2016Unanimous Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Welterweight
- W
- WJonathan MeunierUFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs Thompson · Jun 18, 2016Submission · R3 · 0:54 · Welterweight
- L
- W
- WWagner SilvaUFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs Bisping · Nov 8, 2014Submission · R3 · 3:26 · Welterweight
- WAnying WangUFC Fight Night: Henderson vs Dos Anjos · Aug 23, 2014TKO · R1 · 4:50 · Welterweight
- WJay EllisAbsolute FC 21 · May 16, 2014Submission · R1 · 2:45 · Welterweight
- WJose CaceresCFA 12: Sampo vs. Thao · Oct 12, 2013Unanimous Decision · Welterweight
- W
- WDavid HayesFight Time 9 · Apr 27, 2012Submission · R2 · 1:42
- WChris EnsleyMidtown Throwdown 3 · Feb 11, 2012TKO · R1 · 1:21 · Welterweight
Frequently asked questions
Who won Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington?
Leon Edwards defeated Colby Covington by Unanimous Decision in round 5 (5:00) in the Welterweight title main event of UFC 296: Edwards vs Covington, held Saturday, December 16, 2023 at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. The judges scored it 49-46, 49-46, 49-46, Leon Edwards won the decision.
What were the judges' scorecards for Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington?
The judges scored it 49-46, 49-46, 49-46, Leon Edwards won the decision.
Was Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington a robbery?
Public scoring backed the judges: 88% of 701 fan cards scored it for Leon Edwards; 100% of 23 media scores picked Leon Edwards.