UFC 296 results, highlights: Leon Edwards retains title with ease in decision against Colby Covington

Edwards only lost control of the fight when he willingly put the ball in Covington's court

Colby Covington had more bark than bite on Saturday night. Leon Edwards reigned in his emotions, dictated the fight and defended his UFC welterweight title following an ugly build to UFC 296.

"This one was very emotional for me. This guy used my dad's death as entertainment. Used my dad's murder as entertainment," Edwards said during his post-fight interview at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. "It took a lot for me to calm down, stay focused and come into this fight. I talked to my coaches, I talked to my mom and I shut it all down.

"After the press conference, I went backstage and started crying just because of the rage… To this day it still breaks my heart that my dad was murdered."

Covington succeeded in drawing out Edwards' emotions during their pre-fight press conference on Thursday but a cold, calculated champion entered the cage on fight night.

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Edwards dictated the pace from the beginning, only giving Covington a chance when he chose to engage in grappling. The champ moved forward with precision, picking apart the challenger with hooks to the head and kicks to the body and legs. Covington's greatest strengths are widely believed to be his stamina, forward pressure and chain wrestling. Yet Covington was unusually reserved on Saturday, particularly in the first three rounds. 

Covington looked more alive in the later rounds, particularly when Edwards willingly engaged in his opponent's fieldhouse. Covington and Edwards each scored one takedown in Round 5 with Covington closing the fight on top after slipping out of the champ's submission attempts. All three scorecards read 49-46 in Edwards' favor.

"I grappled with him to shut down this striker vs. grappler narrative," Edwards said. "I started as a mixed martial artist."

Edwards extended his undefeated streak to 13 fights, dating back to a December 2015 loss to Kamaru Usman that he twice avenged. Covington has alternated wins and losses in his last six fights and is 0-3 in title fights.

Elsewhere on the card, Shavkat Rakhmonov staked his claim to a title shot with a submission win over Stephen Thompson. Rakhmonov continues to maintain a perfect finishing rate in 18 pro fights. Plus, Paddy Pimblett poured it on Tony Ferguson early and never backed off as he bounced back from injury to get the win while Ferguson dropped his seventh consecutive fight. And Josh Emmett delivered one of the most devastating knockouts in recent memory against Bryce Mitchell to open the PPV.

CBS Sports was with you the entire way on Saturday bringing you all the results and highlights from the UFC 296 below.

UFC 296 card and results

• Leon Edwards (c) def. Colby Covington via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
  
• Alexandre Pantoja (c) def. Brandon Royval via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)
• Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Stephen Thompson via second-round submission (rear-naked choke)
• Paddy Pimblett def. Tony Ferguson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Josh Emmett def. Bryce Mitchell via first-round knockout (punch)
  
• Alonzo Menifield def. Dustin Jacoby via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Irene Aldana def. Karol Rosa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Cody Garbrandt def. Brian Kelleher via first-round knockout (punches)
• Ariane Lipski def. Casey O'Neill via second-round submission (armbar)
• Tagir Ulanbekov def. Cody Durden via second-round submission (rear-naked choke)
  
• Andre Fili def. Luca Almeida via first-round TKO (punches)
• Shamil Gaziev def. Martin Buday via second-round TKO (punches)

[Dec 17, 2023 at 1:16 am ET · Brent Brookhouse]

Official result: Leon Edwards def. Colby Covington via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) to retain the UFC welterweight championship. 

[Dec 17, 2023 at 1:14 am ET · Brent Brookhouse]

Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington -- Round 5: Edwards had a head kick blocked in the opening seconds of the round. Edwards landed a right hand. Covington shot in and got a high single-leg to put the fight on the canvas. Edwards fought it off and reversed the position, taking Covington's back and trying to sink his hooks in. Edwards switched to a triangle choke but lost the hold as Covington ended up on top. Covington worked some short punches from top position but didn't threaten with anything that could get the finish, ending the fight on top but on his way to losing on the scorecards. Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Covington (49-46 Edwards)

[Dec 17, 2023 at 1:08 am ET · Brent Brookhouse]

Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington -- Round 4: Covington missed with a head kick and Edwards went back to the leg kick. Covington shot in for a takedown and Edwards nearly locked in a choke, forcing Covington to spin out and abandon the takedown. Edwards landed a front kick to the stomach. Edwards then landed a good counter left hand to Covington's chin. Covington did land a good left hand and changed in to secure a bodylock. Covington nearly finished the takedown but Edwards used a whizzer to keep it from being finished and then escaped cleanly. Another Edwards left landed. Edwards continued to fire the body kick but Covington landed a few more punches, finally getting a little something going. Covington again tried for a takeodn and Edwards nearly took the back but it was Covington to got the back in the scramble. Edwards got Covington off his back and landed a knee to the body. A better round for Covington but still one that went Edwards' way on doing the better offensive work. Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Edwards (40-36)

[Dec 17, 2023 at 1:02 am ET · Brent Brookhouse]

Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington -- Round 3: Covington reached for a takedown to start the found but found no success before eating a leg kick. Edwards continued to go back to those leg kicks as Covington's leg showed more and more bruising. Covington also began to bite more on Edwards' feints. Covington switched stances after another leg kick. Covington then shot in with a deep takedown attempt. Edwards tried to step over and take the back which allowed Covington to finish the takedown and end up on top. Edwards easily got back to his feeet and landed a head kick before shooting for his own takedown. Edwards completed the double-leg to end up on top before backing up into the stand-up. Covington missed badly with a few punches and ate yet another leg kick. Covington tried to catch a leg kick and turn it into a takedown but there was nothing there. A really bad jumping knee attempt from Covington came nowhere near Edwards to close the round. Official scorecard: 10-9 Edwards (30-27)

[Dec 17, 2023 at 12:55 am ET · Brent Brookhouse]

Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington -- Round 2: Covington opened with a body kick that connected. Edwards responded with a good body kick of his own. Edwards landed a hard counter right hook from his southpaw stance. Edwards used good distance management to stay just outside of Covington's punching range while also bruising up Covington's leg with kicks. Covington remained strangely passive in his approach, drawing boos from the crowd. Edwards landed a counter straight left hand as Covington continued to make it easy for Edwards to patiently use his best tools in the stand-up game. Edwards connected with a jab and a left hand behind it. Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Edwards (20-18)

[Dec 17, 2023 at 12:49 am ET · Brent Brookhouse]

Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington -- Round 1: Covington threw a slow head kick in the opening seconds while Edwards looked to slowly walk Covington backward. Covington again missed with a head kick as Edward patiently looked for his shots. Both men engaged in a lot of feinting, trying to judge the other's reaction. Edwards landed the first good shot of the fight when he connected with a left hook before following up with a right hand shortly after. Covington shot in for a single-leg takedown but Edwards easily shrugged off that first attempt. Edwards again landed a good left hand. Edwards also began mixing in some leg kicks. Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Edwards

[Dec 17, 2023 at 12:35 am ET · Brent Brookhouse]

It's main event time. Colby Covington challenges for the UFC welterweight championship time for the third time in his career, this time facing Leon Edwards, who won the belt from Kamaru Usman and retained it in a rematch.

[Dec 17, 2023 at 12:22 am ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Official result: Alexandre Pantoja def. Brandon Royval via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46) to retain the UFC flyweight championship.