The final Ultimate Fighting Championship event of 2023 was quite the spectacle. It was a pay-per-view event featuring a host of big matches. The main event of UFC 296 saw UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards face off against Colby Covington. Edwards entered the ring with an impressive 12-fight unbeaten streak, boasting 11 victories and one no-contest.
The last time Edwards tasted defeat was back in December 2015. He was a 24-year-old then, and the man who bested him was Kamaru Usman. However, Edwards had his revenge in 2022 when he won the welterweight crown against Usman with a thrilling last-minute head kick. He proved his victory was no fluke by winning a clear decision in the rubber match at UFC 286 in March 2023.
Covington, on the other hand, earned his title shot more due to his popularity and infamy rather than recent fighting success. He hadn’t stepped into the Octagon for over a year and a half. His last victory was against Jorge Masvidal in March 2022. Despite this, his trash-talking skill earned him a face-off against Edwards.
The fight was almost entirely dominated by Edwards. He landed sharp leg kicks and clean punches while avoiding damage from Covington. In the grappling, Edwards either stuffed Covington’s attempts or quickly got up after them. Covington did win the final round, but Edwards took the unanimous decision 49-46 across the board.
The co-main event saw new flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja face a formidable rival in Brandon Royval. Pantoja had won four straight matches against top-tier competition. This included a second-round submission of Royval in August 2021 and a thrilling 5-round split decision victory to win the crown from Brandon Moreno in July 2023.
Royval, on the other hand, had proven himself one of the deadliest strikers in mixed martial arts since his loss to Pantoja. He won a verdict over Rogerio Bontorin before submitting Matt Schnell and knocking out Matheus Nicolau, each in less than half a round.
Pantoja fought like a man possessed, winning the first two frames with a mix of hard leg kicks, repeated takedowns, and superb top control. However, he started tiring in Round 3. Despite some big moments from Royval in the last three rounds, Pantoja kept getting takedowns and spending large periods on top. He took the unanimous decision for his first title defense.
Undefeated sensation Shavkat Rakhmonov entered his battle with welterweight legend Stephen Thompson with a perfect 17-0 record. Thompson, despite fighting several champions and legends, had only been stopped once in his career, and it was by knockout. Rakhmonov continued his amazing streak with his 18th win and 18th stoppage, becoming the first man to tap Thompson with a rear-naked choke at the end of the second stanza.
Josh Emmett opened up the main card with one of the most thunderous and brutal knockouts in MMA history. He landed his patented overhand right bomb on Bryce Mitchell’s chin early in Round 1. Mitchell immediately lost consciousness and remained unconscious for a long time, even going into convulsions.
On the undercard, recent women’s bantamweight title contender Irene Aldana had a three-round barn-burner against Karol Rosa. After Rosa hurt Aldana with leg kicks and won Round 1, Aldana came back strong with her boxing, winning the second round. Both warriors spent the third and final frame trading huge shots non-stop until the final bell, with Aldana ultimately getting the better of it and the unanimous decision.
Here are five terrific fights to book in 2024:
Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad: Despite Rakhmanov offering a bigger challenge to Edwards, Muhammad, with his No. 2 ranking and 10-fight unbeaten streak, deserves a title shot. He has a similar style to the two men Edwards has already beaten in championship fights, Usman and Covington. However, given Edwards’ success against this skill set and how easily he won the first round in an abbreviated no-contest against Muhammad in 2021, Edwards would be the heavy favorite.
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Winner of Brandon Moreno-Amir Albazi: The winner of Moreno and Albazi’s fight in late February should get a crack at Pantoja. If Moreno wins, it would be a rematch of one of the best fights of 2023. If Albazi wins, it would be an intriguing match-up between two strong, skilled grapplers who can also strike very well.
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Winner of Edwards-Muhammad: Rakhmanov is the clear challenger after Muhammad and shouldn’t have to fight again. If Edwards wins, Rakhmanov offers a huge threat to him fundamentally different than anyone he has faced recently. If Muhammad wins, then it would be a battle of two terrific grapplers who will also engage plenty in the striking.
Josh Emmett vs. Giga Chikadze: This was the fight originally booked for UFC 296, before Chikadze was replaced with Mitchell. It would be a tremendous striking war with a highlight reel finish. The winner should get one last crack at an elite opponent.
Irene Aldana vs. Julianna Pena: Although it won’t be for the vacant women’s bantamweight title, this duel would be exciting. Aldana would seek to emphasize her superior striking while Pena will be looking for the takedown. The winner would likely be the best female bantamweight in the UFC.