Colby Covington once again fell short of grabbing the undisputed UFC Welterweight title. In the UFC 296 main event, “Chaos” took on the defending champion Leon Edwards. Right from the beginning itself, Covington did not look like he was up to the mark, as he was unusually slow in the early rounds. Even Joe Rogan pointed out the same during the post-fight interview as well.
However, much of the credit should go to Leon too, as the champ slowed Colby down with some stiff leg kicks. By the end of the fight, Colby’s right leg seemed mangled from all the punishment from Edwards. As a result, the 35-year-old was apprehensive about pushing the pace on Leon. But Colby ended the fight on top after an arm-bar attempt from the champ went wrong.
DOMINANT from start to finish!!@Leon_EdwardsMMA went wire to wire in his victory over Colby Covington #UFC296 pic.twitter.com/BDRy5fxvkn
— UFC (@ufc) December 17, 2023
But it was too little too late, as all three judges scored the fight 49-46 for the London-based fighter. It was a dominating performance from the champion, and it was a well-deserved victory. However, what stole the spotlight afterward, was Leon’s coach, Dave Lovell. Lovell, who went viral for his motivating speech to Edwards at UFC 278, was arguing with Colby Covington’s corner inside the Octagon after the bout.
Although it is not known how the bickering started, but it is safe to assume that Covington was unhappy with the verdict from the judges. Covington’s reaction may have ticked off Lovell, who thought his student won the fight fairly. Before the argument became heated, Edwards stepped in and asked his coach to stop fighting.
Colby Covington’s remarks on his father made Leon Edwards break down
Colby Covington is not the kind of fighter to patch up with his opponent after the bout. The only time he shook hands with an opponent in recent memory was after his rematch with Kamaru Usman at UFC 268. But the chances of it happening with Leon Edwards were slim to begin with. Especially after what Covington said about the Jamaican-born British fighter’s father. “Chaos” added during the pre-fight press conference that Edwards’ late father was a “s*x trafficker.”
In the interview with Joe Rogan, Edwards added that he became emotional after the comments from Colby. He added, “This time it was very emotional for me. This guy used my dad’s death as entertainment. He used my dad’s murder entertainment and it took a lot for me to calm down, stay focused, and come into this fight…” Edwards continued, “After the press conference, (I) went backstage, I was crying.”
As for the former Interim champ, he blamed the long lay-off for his uncharacteristically slow performance. But the Oregon native did assert that he won the bout. But it is fair to say that his opinion is in the minority. So who do you want Leon and Colby to fight in their respective next fights? Let us know in the comments below.