UFC 296: Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington Betting Prediction

The final UFC fight night of 2023 is coming this weekend at UFC 296 in Las Vegas, being headlined by Leon Edwards and Colby Covington for the undisputed UFC welterweight championship. These guys are two of the best fighters in the world and will showcase their talents in a fight to cap off an incredible night of matchups.

Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington Information

Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington

Location of the fight: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Date & Time: December 16, 2023. 10 PM ET main card start

How to Watch: ESPN+ PPV

Last Fight Record

Edwards is coming off his first title defense in a unanimous decision win over Kamaru Usman in March.

Covington is making his return to the octagon after over 19 months since his decision win over Jorge Masvidal in March of 2022.

Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington Betting Analysis

Leon Edwards

Edwards is an English mixed martial artist with a professional MMA record of 21-3, including 7 wins by TKO/KO and 3 wins by submission. He is currently on an 11-fight winning streak and looking to make his second title defense.

“Rocky” is a 6’2” southpaw with a 74” reach at 32 years old. Inside the octagon, Edwards averages 2.80 significant strikes landed and 2.40 absorbed per minute. He also averages 1.26 takedowns per 15 minutes and a solid 69% takedown defense.

Colby Covington

Covington is an American professional mixed martial artist with a record of 17-3, including 4 TKO/KO wins and 4 submissions at the age of 35. He was the former interim welterweight champion before losing the unifying bout against Usman.

Updates

UFC or ESPN have not injuries reported.

Edwards vs. Covington Betting Preview

With this being such a close matchup between two elite talents, the Edwards vs. Covington prediction is very difficult to arrive at. We need to look closer at the betting lines and the performances these two guys have put out on film over the recent years. 

Starting with the UFC fight odds, Edwards is coming in as the -170 betting favorite against the +145 Covington. The over 4.5 round total stands at -200, and the fight is the favored option to go the distance at -190. You can either Edwards or Covington to win inside the distance at +255 and +425.

Stylistically, Edwards is dealing with a similar fighter to Usman. Covington fights at a higher pace than Usman, and he’s fresher physically than the former champion whom Edwards beat twice in the last year.

Edwards is an elite kickboxer with multiple weapons and techniques he can use to end the fight in any minute of these 5 rounds. He also has shown success using offensive wrestling to control the pace of a championship fight. You can expect to see him set up that high kick and throw it multiple times when he is able to get space from Covington. 

Edwards vs. Covington Betting Prediction

Out of all the upcoming UFC fights this weekend, this one is the best you can get. These two both deserve to be world champions with the work they have put in over the years, and we get to watch them put it all on the line on Saturday night.

After careful consideration, the official Edwards vs. Covington prediction is that Edwards gets his hand raised and remains world champion. This fight should be looked at as a 50/50 odds coin flip, but Edwards has the weapons to allow him to have more paths to victory.

If you like hedging bets and throwing down multiple wagers for a fight; if Covington wins, it will be a decision victory after he lays on Edwards for 5 rounds.

• Picks: Edwards by decision.

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