Colby Covington is racing against time. Just a few months shy of his 36th birthday, and 20 bouts into his professional career, he’s preparing to challenge Leon Edwards for the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight crown. This showdown is set to take place at the UFC 296 main event on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Covington’s track record has been a bit of a rollercoaster. He’s alternated wins and losses in each of his past four outings. His last appearance was at UFC 272, where he took a unanimous decision from Jorge Masvidal after five rounds. That was nearly 700 days ago on March 5, 2022.
Inactivity has become an inescapable part of the Covington narrative. He hasn’t fought more than once in a calendar year since 2019. The question is, can he back up all the hubris and complete his improbable swim upstream against negative public opinion?
But Edwards has a say in the matter too. The 32-year-old Team Renegade star has recently put his three-fight rivalry with Kamaru Usman behind him. On March 18, he outpointed “The Nigerian Nightmare” to a majority decision, improved to 2-1 in their head-to-head series, and retained his welterweight championship. Edwards hasn’t tasted defeat in almost nine years but only now seems to be getting the recognition he deserves.
The Edwards-Covington showdown and its resulting fallout at 170 pounds is just one storyline to watch at UFC 296. Here are four more:
Role Reversal: Alexandre Pantoja thrived on the chase. Now he must prove he can thrive while being chased. Pantoja defends his undisputed flyweight championship for the first time when he rematches Brandon Royval in the five-round co-headliner.
Generational Conflict: Shavkat Rakhmonov could be closing in on a title shot. The undefeated Kill Cliff Fight Club thoroughbred puts his perfect 17-0 record on the line against Stephen Thompson in a three-round welterweight showcase.
The Dismal Tide: Tides often shift unexpectedly in mixed martial arts. Ask Tony Ferguson. Once a perennial contender at 155 pounds, “El Cucuy” has fallen on hard times and enters his lightweight attraction opposite Paddy Pimblett burdened by a career-worst six-fight losing streak.
Brute Force: Intrigue surrounds Shamil Gaziev. A 33-year-old late bloomer who heads into his promotional debut with an unblemished resume, the KHK MMA Team heavyweight confronts Martin Buday as part of the beefed-up undercard.