UFC 296 time: When does Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington start in UK and US tonight?
Leon Edwards and Colby Covington will square off in the main event of UFC 296 tonight, as Edwards puts the welterweight title on the line.
The Jamaican-born Briton won the belt with a stunning knockout of Kamaru Usman in 2022, before outpointing him in London this March to retain the title.
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As such, Saturday’s main event marks Edwards’s second title defence, and Covington’s third title shot at undisputed gold. The American, former interim champion, twice failed to dethrone Usman – losing to the “Nigerian Nightmare” via TKO in 2019 and on points in 2021.
Can Covington finally get over the line here? Or will Edwards, Britain’s second UFC champion ever, extend his reign?
Here’s all you need to know.
When is UFC 296?
UFC 296 takes place on Saturday 16 December at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The early prelims are set to begin at 11.30pm GMT (4.30pm PT, 6.30pm CT, 7.30pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am GMT on Sunday 17 December (6pm PT, 8pm CT, 9pm ET on Saturday).
The main card is then due at 3am GMT on Sunday (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday).
How can I watch it?
In the UK, the prelims will air live on TNT Sports 1 for subscribers, who can also watch those early fights on discovery+. The main card will then air live on TNT Sports Box Office, costing £19.99 and available to subscribers and non-subscribers. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider.
Odds
Edwards – 4/6
Covington – 6/5
Via Betway.
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Full card (subject to change)
Main card
Leon Edwards (C) vs Colby Covington (welterweight title)
Alexandre Pantoja (C) vs Brandon Royval 2 (flyweight title)
Shavkat Rahkmonov vs Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (welterweight)
Tony Ferguson vs Paddy Pimblett (lightweight)
Josh Emmett vs Bryce Mitchell (featherweight)
Prelims
Alonzo Menifield vs Dustin Jacoby (light-heavyweight)
Irene Aldana vs Karol Rosa (women’s bantamweight)
Cody Garbrandt vs Brian Kelleher (bantamweight)
Casey O’Neill vs Ariane Lipski (women’s flyweight)
Early prelims
Tagir Ulanbekov vs Cody Durden (flyweight)
Andre Fili vs Lucas Almeida (featherweight)
Martin Buday vs Shamil Gaziev (heavyweight)