UFC 296 ‘Edwards vs. Covington’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Martin Buday (264.5) vs. Shamil Gaziev (259.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Buday (-148), Gaziev (+124)

Round 1

The year-ending UFC pay-per-view is upon us, and with a record number of fights for the organization, it has been one heck of a 2023 calendar. Before fans receive a much-needed respite over the holidays, a dozen matchups of high intrigue will play out in Las Vegas. It may not start with 12 drummers drumming, but when the heavyweights open up the billing, the thumps of the two big men laying into one another might sound like percussion. Getting things started will be once-beaten, surging Buday (13-1, 4-0 UFC) and the undefeated Gaziev (11-0, 0-0 UFC). Despite their heft, the knockout rates of these burly gentlemen that will combine for 525 mighty pounds—not counting any weight cut—are not through the roof. Referee Mark Smith will nevertheless be on his A-game for the card opener, one that begins with a bump of large fists. Gaziev takes the center of the cage, and he sets up immediate counters when Buday lumbers towards him. Gaziev cuts off his foe with a two-hook combo, making Buday take a second look at coming in. Gaziev sticks out a sharp jab, and he flashes a mean grin while stalking after Buday. Gaziev marks up Buday’s nose with combinations, and he follows a few punches with a knee up the middle. Buday grabs hold of him after absorbing the flush knee to the breadbasket to slow down the surging offense of the UFC debutant. Gaziev pushes off, and he loads on power punches while further busting Buday up. Buday circles away, and he gets backed up to the fence and takes a knee that partially bounces off his guard. Buday escapes, and Gaziev walks him down and blasts him in the face with a shovel uppercut that makes Buday’s nose leak blood. Buday starts blinking and brings his hands up to cover his face, and he backs off in dire trouble. Smith recognizes that there is a nasty cut opened up either under his left eyebrow or on his eyelid, and he pauses the round and brings in the doctor to check on his condition. Buday is cleared to continue, and he thanks Smith by shooting in for a takedown. Gaziev steamrolls him over and pushes Buday to his back, where he proceeds to target the bloodied eye with punches and elbows. Gaziev moves to half guard, and he grinds his elbow mercilessly on Buday’s mouth and throat. Gaziev sits up and busts Buday in the face with a few left hands, and blood continues to leak out of Buday’s eye. Buday turns over as he continues to take punishment, and he fights to a knee but is wrenched down by the undefeated fighter. Gaziev drills a knee to the posterior, and when Buday stands up, Gaziev follows him with a knee on the jaw right before the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gaziev
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Gaziev
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Gaziev

Round 2

Smith brings in the doctor to again take a look at Buday’s eye, who checks on Buday’s vision and condition. The physician informs Smith that Buday can still continue, and the second round begins. Gaziev wants to waste little time as he searches for a finish, marching Buday down and slugging him in the face with ruthless right hands and elbows. Buday shells up, his back against the cage wall, and Gaziev lays into him with powerful blows. Smith implores Buday to fight back, and Gaziev drills his foe in the body with a right hand that makes Buday double over. Gaziev continues hurling punches as Buday wilts but does not go down, and Smith recognizes that Buday has nothing left to offer and waves off the match. That makes it a perfect 12 up with none down for the debuting Gaziev, who has notched 11 of his 12 victories inside the distance.

The Official Result

Shamil Gaziev def. Martin Badys R2 0:56 via TKO (Punches)

Lucas Almeida (146) vs. Andre Fili (145.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Fili (-175), Almeida (+145)

Round 1

Wasting little time, the second fight of the evening is on deck. In the featherweight category, Fili (22-10, 1 NC; 10-9, 1 NC UFC) aims to keep his record with the promotion over .500. His action-packed opponent Almeida (14-2, 1-1 UFC), who has a 100% finish rate and wants to lift his own UFC win/loss total above 1-1, will almost certainly meet him in the middle and trade. Before this happens, referee Jason Herzog clocks them in. The fighters do not touch ‘em up, and instead Fili pushes the pace immediately and starts cutting Almeida off. Fili dips and moves with capoeira gestures until Almeida tosses a low kick at him, and Fili checks it with a resounding thump. Fili replies with a body kick, and he absorbs a leg kick when advancing. Fili lets loose with a left hand, and Almeida takes it flush and tries to respond, but the UFC vet rolls with it. Almeida paws out a pair of leg kicks that miss the mark, and Fili slams a body kick home to offer something back. Fili ducks down low when Almeida swings at him, and he pops back up and dings Almeida with a left hook. Almeida continues working the lead leg when he finds openings, and Fili checks one or two but absorbs the brunt of them. Almeida turns his hips into a stern kick, and Fili gathers himself and jabs Almeida hard in the solar plexus. Fili rips a kick to the ribs, and he leans back from a head kick and brushes his shoulder dismissively. Almeida chops at the lead wheel, and Fili gives it back with interest. Fili sits down on a ferocious right hand during an exchange, knocking the Brazilian clean off his feet. Fili lowers himself down to finish the job, with Almeida’s eyes wide as he tries to defend himself. Fili unleashes a lengthy barrage of hammerfists and punctuating punches as Herzog comes in close to consider the stoppage. Herzog backs off, and Fili continues to pelt Almeida with his fists until the gold-standard referee calls a halt to the matchup. Almeida climbs back to his feet and tries to protest, but he learns he has moved to Wobble Street and can barely stand up on his own power. Fili sprints off to celebrate his handiwork, and lets loose some raw emotion after earning the huge win.

The Official Result

Andre Fili def. Lucas Almeida R1 3:32 via TKO (Punches)

Cody Durden (126) vs. Tagir Ulanbekov (126)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Ulanbekov (-170), Durden (+142)

Round 1

Two wrestle-friendly flyweights will toe the line as the prelims continue, in a classic matchup of Russia vs. Georgia—with a twist. Representing the Motherland and Dagestani fighters everywhere will be Ulanbekov (14-2, 3-1 UFC), and his foe Durden (16-4-1, 5-2-1 UFC) hails from Georgia, albeit in the United States. Ready for a potential 15-minute affair, referee Chris Tognoni laces his shoes up tightly to keep up with the 125ers. There is no glove touch to start things off. Durden races out to attack, and Ulanbekov is right there to fire off several leg kicks. Durden responds with one, and Ulanbekov goes up top with a one-two and several jabs. Ulanbekov parries a kick with his knee and pushes out a front kick. Durden charges at him, and Ulanbekov sits down on a right hand and smashes Durden in the face with a right hand. Durden topples over to his back, and Ulanbekov leaps at him and snatches up a guillotine choke, even pulling guard to lock it down. Durden deftly rolls through to survive the dangerous submission attempt, and the scramble that ensues is wild and frantic, and it results in them both standing up again. When upright, Ulanbekov drives a knee into Durden’s jaw, and Durden shakes it off as the two tie up. Durden presses tightly until Ulanbekov pushes off, and both flyweights are hellbent for leather as they separate, nailing one another with fierce punches. Durden gets the better of the final exchange before they back off to catch their wind, and Ulanbekov settles down and flicks out a number of jabs. Durden crashes the pocket, and Ulanbekov stands him up and gets pushed to the wall. Ulanbekov uses his foe’s momentum against him and hits a body lock with a trip to dump the Georgian on his back. Durden hits the ground and hacks upward with an elbow, and he attacks with a number of additional elbows while Ulanbekov lords over him. Durden muscles his way back to a knee with the wall at his side, and Ulanbekov gets a hook in the side and drags him down. The Dagestani fighter gets both hooks in and rides Durden like a bucking bronco, allowing Durden to flail and spin to no avail. Ulanbekov cinches up a body triangle, and he locks down a rear-naked choke that is clamped on top of Durden’s jaw. Durden toughs it out and makes it to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ulanbekov
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ulanbekov
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Ulanbekov

Round 2

The 125ers are amped up and ready to get back to it, and Ulanbekov offers a glove touch and gets decked in the face by his opponent. Ulanbekov shakes it off and counters with a left, and Durden is out of the way in time. Durden jabs his way in, and he nails Ulanbekov with an overhand right. Ulanbekov lowers his base and flips Durden around him to throw the American on his back, and Durden holds on tight until he gets elbowed in the chops. Durden sets up a high guard in an effort to threaten or keep Ulanbekov honest, and he gets off a sharp elbow when Ulanbekov looks to get his own ground-and-pound going. The crowd grows a little restless as Ulanbekov maintains top position, and Durden hurries to get back up but gives his back up in the process. Ulanbekov slips in a body triangle and uses his toes to hang on illegally in the position. Tognoni admonishes him multiple times, and as he does, Ulanbekov sets up rear-naked choke. Durden fights the hands, all while Ulanbekov is hanging on his back and interlinking his toes in the fencing. Ulanbekov softens Durden up from behind with punches while looking for an opening on the neck, riding the fighter from Georgia like a mean-spirited L.L. Bean backpack. Tognoni slaps Ulanbekov’s toes out of the fence once more, and Ulanbekov maintains his body triangle locked around Durden’s waist. Ulanbekov fishes for another rear-naked choke, and he settles for it over the jaw to give it a full-throated squeeze. Durden falls to his back in a last-ditch effort to escape the precarious position, but there is nothing more he can do. The forearm of the Dagestani competitor does not even need to slip under the chin, as his vice-like grip forces Durden to surrender. This pillar-to-post performance for Ulanbekov announces him as a threat to the rest of his talent-stacked division.

The Official Result

Tagir Ulanbekov def. Cody Durden R2 4:25 via Submission (Face Crank)

Ariane Lipski (126) vs. Casey O'Neill (125)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: O’Neill (-198), Lipski (+164)

Round 1

It’s a rare battle of royalty when “King” O’Neill (9-1, 4-1 UFC) throws down with “Queen of Violence” Lipski (16-8, 5-5 UFC) with flyweight ranking stakes on the line. Both flyweights celebrate equal finish rates of 56%, and they have the capability to turn the fight on a dime. Referee Mark Smith takes charge of the contest, one that kicks off without the two tapping their gloves together. Lipski strides out instead to introduce herself with a right hand, and O’Neill retaliates with a short combination. Lipski loads up early with power, and O’Neill rolls with the punches and gives a few back. Lipski bites down on her mouthpiece and swings her fists and chains a head kick into it, and O’Neill turns the tables by snatching up Lipski’s leg in search of a single-leg takedown attempt. Lipski defends the initial try and pushes the Aussie back, where she lands a pair of punches on the break. O’Neill lands one, and she keeps her guard high to defend a head kick try. The pace wanes as O’Neill slowly advances, and “King” dodges a one-two and counters with a right hand. Lipski takes a punch and tries for counters, but O’Neill is out of harm’s way in time. Lipski jabs and lands a low kick, and she connects with a vicious right hand that rings O’Neill’s bell. O’Neill steels herself and loops a left hand back, but Lipski is there right in front of her kicking her in the guts and rifling punches down the middle. O’Neill looks to tie her up and get off a knee, and Lipski welcomes this and throws two back in rapid succession before they split apart. A wide-eyed O’Neill wades into the fray, and she pursues a takedown after throwing some strikes. Lipski meets this with her own power and throws O’Neill down to her back. Lipski lets her back up, so that they can continue to trade punches. O’Neill dips in with a right hand, and Lipski snipes her with a left and has a head kick blocked on the way out. O’Neill sits down on a solid calf kick, and Lipski changes stances and eats a left hand up top. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lipski
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lipski
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Lipski

Round 2

The flyweights meet in the middle, and O’Neill says hello with a pair of snapping jabs. Lipski retaliates with a vicious combination, and she bloodies O’Neill’s nose up and hurts her badly with a right hand. O’Neill stumbles back, and Lipski fires a head kick at her to further scramble her circuits. O’Neill desperately seeks a takedown while taking punishment, and Lipski bowls her over and lights her up with vicious ground-and-pound. Lipski takes O’Neill’s back and she sinks in a rear-naked choke that is under the chin. O’Neill turns to her side to escape the submission, and Lipski releases the grip and turns over to pursue an armbar. Lipski climbs over the shoulder to complete the maneuver, and she promptly hyperextends the arm of “King.” O’Neill looks to turn her foe over or go belly-down to escape, but she taps out when the pain overtakes her. Lipski successfully embodied her “Queen of Violence” nickname as she sprang the upset, and likely leapfrogged her way into the rankings in her division.

The Official Result

Ariane Lipski def. Casey O’Neill R2 1:18 via Submission (Armbar)

Cody Garbrandt (136) vs. Brian Kelleher (136)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Garbrandt (-198), Kelleher (+164)

Round 1

Former champ Garbrandt (13-5, 8-5 UFC) is searching for his first two-win year since 2016, as he picked up a victory in March over Trevin Jones. Standing in his way will be the returning Kelleher (24-14, 8-7 UFC), who has been away from the Octagon for nearly 18 months and has grown himself a sweet skullet. The bantamweights with plenty of ways to finish fights will receive oversight by referee Marc Goddard, who starts the clock as the fighters tap gloves. Kelleher advances, sticking out his jab to find his range. Garbrandt does the same, and he suddenly lashes out with three punches and catches Kelleher on the chin. Garbrandt rushes forward throwing hands, and he dings Kelleher on the temple. Kelleher responds with two powerful calf kicks, and misses a front kick on the nose by a whisker. Kelleher connects with another calf kick, forcing Garbrandt to spin all the way around to recover. The punches from Garbrandt have opened a cut on the top of Kelleher’s head, but he pays it no mind. Garbrandt rushes in with three punches, and Kelleher pecks at him with a calf kick that forces the former champ to stumble on his way in. Kelleher pushes out a front kick, and shoots in for a double-leg takedown that jams Garbrandt against the wall. Garbrandt defends the first try and knees his foe in the sternum, and Kelleher drops down for a second effort but bails on it when Garbrandt pushes off. Garbrandt blitzes with a punch combo, and Kelleher takes a few on the chin and is more interested in chopping down the lead leg of his opponent. Garbrandt absorbs another leg kick or two before closing the distance, and he pursues his own possible level change or just ties him up to slow down the kick assault. Garbrandt lands an elbow on the break, and he evades a low kick that whizzes past him. Garbrandt digs several punches to the body and goes to the head, and Kelleher tries to escape but gets his bell rung by the former champ. Garbrandt gives chase, and he belts Kelleher in the jaw with a right hand that cinematically sprays blood out of his mouth. Kelleher recovers slightly, sitting down on a front kick. Garbrandt drives home a right hand that smashes “Boom” right on the chin and sends him crashing down in a heap. Watching Kelleher fall on his face, Garbrandt does not bother trying to seal the deal and instead limps away as Goddard waves the fight off. Serious swelling has developed on the shin of "No Love," which may not have been able to take much more punishment had the fight continued.

The Official Result

Cody Garbrandt def. Brian Kelleher R1 3:42 via KO (Punch)

Irene Aldana (136) vs. Karol Rosa (135.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Aldana (-205), Rosa (+170)

Round 1

The winner of this next preliminary affair could posture themselves in line for the next title shot, given the dearth of contenders at 135 pounds. Aldana (14-7, 7-5 UFC) is coming off a deflating defeat to the great Amanda Nunes, while Rosa (17-5, 6-2 UFC) has shifted around from bantamweight to featherweight until the latter disintegrated. Whether this lasts three minutes or three full rounds, referee Jason Herzog has clocked in and is ready for what comes next. There is a sporting glove touch between the women, and Aldana strikes first with a quick jab. Rosa strings two punches and a leg kick together to give something back, and Aldana is right there to pop her with a one-two when that completes. Rosa meanders forward as chants for “Mexico” rain down, and Aldana meets her with a few peppering jabs. Rosa lunges with two more punches and a low kick, and she skirts away from a right hand that zips towards her. Aldana absorbs a few more lead leg kicks, and she gets driven back by the Brazilian with a straight right hand. Aldana sticks out a sharp jab and reddens the nose of her foe with a couple subsequent punches, and Rosa retaliates with a fierce leg kick that spins Aldana around and sits her on her seat momentarily. Aldana gathers her thoughts and tanks two more kicks, and she marches forward putting hands on Rosa. Aldana connects with a solid one-two, but Rosa continues to chop her down like a tree. Less than three minutes in, and Aldana’s left leg is welted on both sides and showing some damage. Rosa does not take her foot off the gas as she continues to work on the boxer’s leg, and Aldana forces responses with long, leaning punches. Rosa’s defense stays effective enough to show little harm from the punches, and she slams her shin on the inside of Aldana’s thigh. Aldana is wearing it, but she bites down on her mouthpiece and connects with numerous punches up top. Rosa chambers and fires more legs kicks, never allowing Aldana to feel comfortable, and Aldana is not bothering to check or do anything about them. Instead, Aldana plods forward, jabbing and dinging Rosa with punches. Rosa, the bridge of her nose cut, pounds on Aldana’s lead leg with kicks on the inside and out. Aldana toughs it out, but every time one lands, her knee nearly buckles. Aldana maintains a stiff upper lip, backing Rosa off with her long, accurate punches. Aldana gets off a right hand, and Rosa rocks her with a head kick shortly thereafter. The horn sounds, with both ladies licking their wounds after five harsh minutes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rosa
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rosa
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Rosa

Round 2

The two practically sprint off of their stools to get ready for the second round, and they quickly touch gloves first. Rosa gets right back to bombarding Aldana with ferocious kicks, and Aldana is in her face piecing her up with punches. Rosa gives back punches, in lesser volume, but her kicks make more than up for it. Aldana hops around back and forth to try to get some feeling back in her lead wheel, as Rosa is chopping hard at the inner thigh that is welted and swollen. Rosa uses her leg kicks to open up punches up top, and Aldana continues to fight through the pain and blasts Rosa in the face with a one-two. Aldana punches her way into a long combination, and she tags Rosa with a straight right hand. Rosa chomps down on her gumshield and slings leather right back, but Aldana continues to peck and poke away at her with effective punches. With Rosa’s back against the wall, she has nowhere to go, and Aldana lays into her with long series of punches. Rosa cannot get off kicks when in close range, until Aldana backs off. Rosa falls over when throwing a kick, and Aldana lets her back up so that she can chain punches en masse. Aldana pours it on as Rosa begins to slow, and the right hands from the Mexican draw serious swelling on Rosa’s left eye. Rosa fearlessly trades leather, but Aldana is the far superior pure boxer and does some damage. The Brazilian gets enough space to lob out low kicks, until Aldana crowds her with her fists. Rosa tries to back her off courtesy of a jump knee, and Aldana parries it and comes out firing. Aldana starts kiaiing when landing punches, and Rosa’s face is busted up from taking punishment. Aldana ignores the leg kicks, even when aimed at her calf, and she stings Rosa with a vicious uppercut. Rosa throws caution to the wind and starts brawling, and Aldana takes it to her with several more crisp punches until the horn ends the wild round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Aldana
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Aldana
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Aldana

Round 3

The ladies are glad to touch ’em up to begin the last round, and Aldana is fired up. The first punch Aldana throws rocks Rosa, and Rosa takes a quick count of her teeth and absorbs a few more fiery punches. Rosa connects with a few low kicks on the inside and out, and Aldana jabs her way into a blistering exchange. Rosa gets her swollen eye smashed as she kicks Aldana’s leg out, and Aldana’s one-two continues to find its home. Rosa picks up the number of low kicks again, intercepting an advancing Aldana. Aldana rips an uppercut in the midst of a salvo, and Rosa chops her lead leg down like Van Damme kicking the banana tree in “Kickboxer.” Rosa continues her assault of leg kicks, and Aldana finds her mark with head shots and one big one to the body. Aldana busts open the mouse under Rosa’s eye and spams uppercuts, and Rosa is backing off but still trading. This is insane. Aldana may not realize how hurt Rosa is, and she does not target the body as much and continues teeing off up top. Rosa throws back with everything she has, and Aldana drills the liver with a left hand. Aldana starts aiming punches to the body, and she mixes shots up top and down to the midsection. Rosa is tough as a two-dollar steak, bleeding from both eyes and compromised by body shots, but she is still in the fight. Aldana connects again and again with long chains of punches, transforming Rosa’s face into an unrecognizable visage, and Rosa counters with bombs. With 30 seconds left, Rosa decides it is time to start brawling, chin be darned. Aldana walks through leg kicks and busts Rosa in the chops with everything she has. Aldana smashes Rosa’s nose, and blood is leaking out of Rosa’s face from basically everywhere. Rosa may take some steps back, but she does not stop trading furious leather until the bitter end. The final bell sounds, putting an end to a sure-fire “Fight of the Night” winner immediately worthy of “Fight of the Year” consideration. What an absolutely sensational firefight!

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Aldana (29-28 Aldana)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Aldana (29-28 Aldana)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Aldana (29-28 Aldana)

The Official Result

Irene Aldana def. Karol Rosa via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Dustin Jacoby (204.5) vs. Alonzo Menifield (204.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Jacoby (-270), Menifield (+220)

Round 1

The preliminary headliner has changed on fight week, and it will now come between two light heavyweight strikers in what could be a real barnburner. Menifield (14-3-1, 7-3-1 UFC) is looking to push his unbeaten streak to five, and Jacoby (19-7-1, 7-4-1 UFC) wants to string some momentum together to make another run up the ladder. Referee Chris Tognoni dons his proverbial hard hat as these two men will be swinging with bad intentions for as long as it lasts. Before they swing for the fences, the 205ers bump their gloves together while nodding in excitement. Both men are cautious to engage for the first 25 seconds, until Menifield wings two hooks that both come up short. Menifield reaches out with a jab, and Jacoby answers him with one of his own. Menifield again misses with an overhand right, and Jacoby prods out a few more jabs to keep the power swinging Menifield at bay. Jacoby kicks the inside thigh and loops a left hand around the guard, and he ducks away from a huge strike from Menifield. Jacoby stays busy with jabs and leg kicks, and he keeps his guard high to block the worst of the blows. Menifield scores a single left hook, and Jacoby puts his foot on the gas and gives chase. Menifield just misses a right hand that bumps into the chest, and he swings for the bleachers with wide, inaccurate punches. Jacoby sees the majority of those home run strikes coming and is able to block or evade them, and he crowds Menifield until Menifield sprints at him in search of a takedown. Jacoby tosses him to the side and allows Menifield to stand back up, and he just blocks a left hook. Jacoby rings Menifield’s bell with a right hand, and he gets stung with a counter. Jacoby crowds his man, and Menifield welcomes the clinch and tries to turn him around or throw him to the floor. Jacoby stays on his feet and knees the body, as the two jockey for position from up close. Jacoby continues to press his weight on his opponent, and Menifield eventually turns him around and lands a single right hook. Jacoby does not like this, lines up a knee down the middle, and the slow round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jacoby
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Jacoby
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Jacoby

Round 2

The 205ers meet in the middle with a glove touch, and Jacoby gets right back into his jabbing groove. Menifield gets tired of playing the jab and miss game, and he bites down on his mouthpiece and drives out a straight left that blasts Jacoby in the face. Jacoby stumbles from one side of the cage to the other, but he manages to gather his thoughts when ricocheting off the fence before Menifield can pounce. Jacoby recovers, but Menifield drives home two fierce leg kicks that give him pause. Jacoby lands a few jabs, and Menifield tries his own and lands a leg kick on the inside. Jacoby takes the left hand flush and is no worse for wear, and he parries a second. Menifield cracks the former Glory kickboxer with a right hand, stunning him but not putting him down. Jacoby hands on tight and hurts Menifield with a counter. Menifield shakes it off and crashes forward, landing blazing hooks on the side of the head and making Jacoby briefly rethink his life decision leading to that point. Jacoby tries to fire back, but Menifield is on him throwing merciless punches. Jacoby bounces off the cage and looks to settle down with his rangy jab, but Menifield has found his range and connects with effective counters. Jacoby snaps the head back with a jab, and Menifield backpedals as his right eye begins to swell. Jacoby kicks low, and Menifield returns fire with a far heavier blow that force a stance switch. Jacoby whiffs on a head kick but rifles a jab down the middle, and Menifield dodges a follow-up punch and grazes the side of the head with a left hook. The two clash shins together, and Jacoby gets the worse of it. Jacoby attacks, and Menifield meets him with his own punches until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Menifield
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Menifield
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Jacoby

Round 3

There is a final glove touch to begin the last round. Jacoby flashes out a leg kick, and Menifield is right there to counter him. Jacoby lines up several jabs, and Menifield dodges to the side to avoid most of them but not all. Menifield comes back with an overhand right, and he hops away to avoid a leg kick. Menifield loads up on a big left hook, and Jacoby tanks it and prods out a front kick. Jacoby snipes his man with a one-two, and when Menifield comes up short, Jacoby lands another. Menifield draws his foe into a short firefight, and he bangs a left hook off the temple of “The Hanyak.” Jacoby skillfully lands jab after jab, busting Menifield’s nose up and connecting in great numbers. Menifield gets sick of eating those punches, and he knocks Jacoby clean off his feet with a thunderous left hook. Jacoby falls to his seat, and Menifield tries to seal the deal with several clubbing undercuts beneath Jacoby’s armpit. Jacoby muscles his way back to his feet, and Menifield beats on him with a long series of punches and uppercuts. Jacoby tries to fire back, and Menifield drops down and hits a takedown to put the former kickboxer on his seat. Menifield connects with several jackhammering punches until Jacoby forces Menifield to fall off him and explode back up. The two stay tight in the clinch, and Jacoby considers a takedown that is thwarted. Menifield turns the tables, dropping down for a single, and he bails on it when Tognoni tells him to stay busy. Jacoby looks for inside or outside trips, and Menifield keeps his balance with his back to the wire. Menifield turns him around and knees him in the belly, and he gains enough space to wing a right hand that hurts Jacoby. Menifield gives chase and clubs Jacoby in the face with a pair of hooks, and the bloody battle comes to a conclusion when time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Menifield (29-28 Menifield)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Menifield (29-28 Menifield)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Menifield (29-28 Jacoby)

The Official Result

Alonzo Menifield def. Dustin Jacoby via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Josh Emmett (146) vs. Bryce Mitchell (145.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Mitchell (-225), Emmett (+185)

Round 1

On short notice, this featherweight pairing turned from a striker’s delight to a classic striker vs. grappler affair. Ready to throw hands aplenty will be Emmett (18-4, 9-4 UFC), while late replacement and grappling ace Mitchell (16-1, 7-1 UFC) wishes to shut that all down. 2023 Referee of the Year Herb Dean will be the third man in the Octagon, and the fighters are glad to be fighting tonight but do not express it with a glove touch. Mitchell starts off with pressure, but Emmett reaches out with a right hand to the body. Mitchell backs off and aims a low kick, and Emmett evades it and responds in kind. The fighters keep a wide berth from one another, and Emmett eventually moves forward and aims another right to the midsection. Emmett gets off a left hand and tries to follow it with a huge right hook, but Mitchell is out of the way before the latter connects. With malice in his eyes, Emmett unloads a bomb of a right hand that detonates flush on Mitchell’s chin. Mitchell goes down on his side in a heap, and he is completely out. Emmett lets out a guttural victory scream as Dean grabs him from behind to make sure that Emmett will not pursue a follow-up shot. As Dean lets go, he tends to the fallen Mitchell, who begins convulsing in unconsciousness. Medical staff members rush into the cage when alerted to Mitchell’s scary condition, as Mitchell goes into a full-blown grand mal seizure. After some time, Mitchell recovers and learns that he was starched. He tries to get back to his feet, but he cannot stand on his own. Mitchell is helped out of the cage, in good spirits despite just suffering a crushing defeat, and when Emmett feels comfortable celebrating, he does so with his corner of Team Alpha Male—which went 3-0 tonight, after Fili, Garbrandt and Emmett all recorded knockout wins. Hello, "Knockout of the Year"? You have a new contender calling.

The Official Result

Josh Emmett def. Bryce Mitchell R1 1:57 via KO (Punch)

Tony Ferguson (155.5) vs. Paddy Pimblett (155.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Pimblett (-298), Ferguson (+240)

Round 1

Coming up on 40 years old with six straight losses, the back of Ferguson (25-9, 15-7 UFC) is firmly against the wall. “El Cucuy” has not gotten his hand raised since June 2019, and in that same stretch, Pimblett (20-3, 4-0 UFC) has won six in a row. This showcase of drastically different momentum will be overseen by referee Mark Smith. Ferguson has no interest in touching gloves, as he wants to get right to business despite Pimblett’s offer. Pimblett reaches out a left hook, and Ferguson gives him one back. Pimblett fires off a body kick, and he reaches Ferguson with two punches to follow. Pimblett kicks the lead leg, and Ferguson twirls around and sweeps Pimblett’s leg with a kick. Loud chants for “USA” in support of Ferguson rain down, who stuffs a takedown that comes his way. Pimblett connects with a low kick, and Ferguson gets him back with a jab to the body and an overhand right. Pimblett aims another kick to the ribs, and he directs a kick to the calf. Ferguson leaps in with a left hook, and he walks into a knee. Ferguson jabs his toes to the midsection, and he chains a right hand to the same spot. Ferguson targets the body again, and Pimblett chips away at his legs. Pimblett sticks out a jab, and Ferguson is there to jab him back and then put two punches on the Brit. Ferguson snaps the head back with a left, and he catches Pimblett at the top of his hair with a swiping left. Pimblett drills Ferguson with a right hand, and Ferguson steels himself and cracks “The Baddy” with a left hook. The two start trading furiously, and Ferguson takes a body shot that hurts him. Pimblett beats on Ferguson’s lead leg a few times, and Ferguson is wearing it after three minutes of action. Ferguson bloodies up the nose, and Pimblett cracks him with several wide hooks. Ferguson checks a leg kick that makes Pimblett fall over, and he lets his foe climb back up. Pimblett kicks the wide, and he changes stances and aims a side kick. Pimblett lines up several punches that hurt Ferguson badly, and he leaps at his foe and busts him in the chops with a flying knee. Ferguson falls to his knees and rolls over, and Pimblett lords over him railing him with punches. Ferguson turns over to give up his back so he can survive, and he flattens the veteran out and rains down ferocious punches. Smith tells Ferguson to fight back, and Ferguson continues turning and scrambles madly to stay in the fight. Pimblett leaps on top of him, and the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pimblett
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pimblett
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-8 Pimblett

Round 2

Ferguson has made it to the second round, grey in his beard and swelling on his face, but he does not appear to be in the best of spirits. He starts off the round aggressively, chasing after the Liverpool native with long punches. Ferguson connects with a long left hand, and he stings Pimblett with a right but gets driven back with a pair of hooks. Ferguson tries to get off an up-elbow, and he kicks high and falls over. Pimblett jumps on top, and Ferguson starts up a high guard and hacks with elbows off his back. Pimblett wings punches that land on the side of Ferguson’s head, and he stacks Ferguson up to thwart a triangle choke setup. Pimblett begins to drop down power punches, bouncing Ferguson’s head off the mat. Ferguson employs a rubber guard and attempts to wrap his leg around the side of the head, and he is warned for fence grabs with his hands and feet. Ferguson protects himself from further harm as Pimblett places him between the corner of the fence and the floor. Pimblett works the body as Ferguson clings to him, and he drives his knee into Pimblett’s neck at an awkward angle. Ferguson lands a few more elbows off his back, and blood leaks out of Pimblett’s nose onto him. Pimblett advances to half guard and he sets up an arm-triangle choke in a hurry. Ferguson drags him back to his guard, but it is Pimblett landing effective strikes as he postures up to smack the veteran in the face with ground-and-pound. Pimblett maintains control, ignoring any submission setup from his foe, until the bloody round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pimblett
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pimblett
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pimblett

Round 3

“El Cucuy” leads off the round swinging his fists at his foe, but Pimblett stands firm and clubs him with a left hook. Pimblett lands two punches, and Ferguson lifts him up with an uppercut. Pimblett shakes it off and takes a body shot, and he backpedals to kick at Ferguson’s lead leg. Pimblett shoots for an ill-advised takedown, and Ferguson thinks about defending with a submission but instead pushes Pimblett over and lets him back up. Pimblett slowly gets back up, and Ferguson walks him down and starts busting up the body. Pimblett goes for a takedown with everything he has left, and he lifts Ferguson up and dumps him on the ground. Ferguson hacks and slashes off his back, keeping his left leg high on the shoulder of a fatiguing Pimblett. Pimblett slowly works over to half guard, and he takes an elbow in the back of the head. Pimblett hangs on, and he considers an arm-triangle choke as he is warned for inactivity. Ferguson spams elbows, and he takes occasional punches on the chin to stave off Smith intervention. Ferguson kicks off the chest of his opponent twice, and Pimblett regathers himself and races back to take a stacked-up top position to keep Ferguson grounded. Pimblett hangs on, and Ferguson hooks his left arm under the chin in search of a guillotine choke that is not there. Pimblett grinds out the remainder of the fight on top, as Ferguson tries with all his remaining might to land something from off his back. The disappointing match ends, as fans boo “The Baddy” for his performance.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pimblett (30-27 Pimblett)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pimblett (30-27 Pimblett)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pimblett (30-26 Pimblett)

The Official Result

Paddy Pimblett def. Tony Ferguson via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Shavkat Rakhmonov (171) vs. Stephen Thompson (171)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Rakhmonov (-550), Thompson (+410)

Round 1

A passing of the torch welterweight contest come as the “featured fight of the night” slot on this year-end PPV. On a meteoric rise, Rakhmonov (17-0, 5-0 UFC) sports a dazzling 100% finish rate and has not yet tasted defeat as a pro. Former title challenger Thompson (17-6-1, 12-6-1 UFC) cannot say the same on either front, but he showed a year ago against Kevin Holland that even at his age—turning 41 in February—he has plenty left in the tank. Referee Jason Herzog takes a deep breath as the fighters come together and share a cordial fist bump. Both men in alternate stances—Rakhmonov orthodox and Thompson southpaw—they proceed to creep towards one another like in a traditional martial arts match. Thompson skips away when Rakhmonov pursues him, and he pushes a hand off the cage to push out a side kick. Rakhmonov rushes forward to close in and clinch, and Thompson catches him with a short left hand on the way in. Rakhmonov ties him up and starts working knees to the thigh, and he hunts to clasp his hands around the waist. Thompson defends this and knees the chest, and they stall out in the tie-up. In a brief exciting exchange, the two trade punches from close proximity to temporarily reenact Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama. Rakhmonov drops down to go after a single, and he lifts Thompson’s leg up but cannot ground him. The crowd showers the fighters with boos as Rakhmonov drags this fight to a snail’s pace, with one single knee in about 30 seconds of control. Rakhmonov drives his shoulder in the jaw, and Herzog tells them to keep working. Thompson escapes out the side and gets back to kickboxing range, and he unleashes a loud kick to the ribcage. Thompson aims another kick to the same spot, and he leans back when Rakhmonov whips a left hook at him. Thompson catches his foe with a right hand, and Rakhmonov chases after him but cannot get to him. The disappointing round comes to an end.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rakhmonov
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rakhmonov
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Rakhmonov

Round 2

The welterweights touch hands, and Rakhmonov keeps his karate stance to land two side kicks and a leaping right hand. Rakhmonov retaliates, and Thompson dips back to roll with it. Rakhmonov advances and gets clipped with a right hook, and Rakhmonov sprints at him to take the fight down. Thompson races away to get away from the grip of the Kazakhstani fighter, and he defends the takedown but takes a knee to the body when up against the wall. Thompson keeps himself upright, and Rakhmonov knees his thigh a few times. Rakhmonov lowers himself in pursuit of a double, and Thompson breaks it up. Rakhmonov attacks a single as Herzog tells them to work, and he manages to drag Thompson down to the ground. Rakhmonov traps Thompson’s right arm behind his back, and he isolates a rear-naked choke as he slithers over to secure the choke. The grip is under the chin, and Thompson grimaces but does not give up, instead turning just enough to give him some breathing room. Rakhmonov releases the submission and sits up while in half guard to rain down short but thudding elbows. Rakhmonov keeps breaking Thompson down with irritating ground-and-pound, until Thompson flips himself over and gets to his knees. Rakhmonov considers a front choke before hopping around to take Thompson’s back. Rakhmonov latches onto a rear-naked choke, and he squeezes with all his might as the 10-second clapper sounds. Thompson tries to grit it out or perhaps allow himself to go out on his shield, but he instead decides to tap out. This is a huge victory for Rakhmonov, who moves to 18-0 as a pro with 18 stoppages on his ledger, while becoming the first fighter to ever tap out the mighty karateka.

The Official Result

Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Stephen Thompson R2 4:56 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

UFC Flyweight Title Fight:
Alexandre Pantoja (125) vs. Brandon Royval (124.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Pantoja (-185), Royval (+154)

Round 1

In August 2021, Pantoja (26-5, 10-3 UFC) and Royval (15-6, 5-2 UFC) came to blows on the main card opener of UFC on ESPN 29. The two battled violently until Pantoja slapped on a rear-naked choke and sealed the deal less than two minutes into Round 2. Since then, “The Cannibal” went on to win the flyweight strap, and Royval won three straight to earn a crack at gold. These elite 125-pounders will have upwards of 25 minutes to determine the victor in this rematch, and they will have referee Marc Goddard keeping a watchful eye on the action. With plenty of respect for one another, the two gladly touch gloves when brought to the center of the cage for their final instructions. Pantoja practically sprints out of his corner, attacking the challenger with a long stream of punches and a high kick. Royval backs off until he doesn’t, and he sits down with a kick to the body. Pantoja chips away at Royval’s lead leg with powerful strikes, and Royval changes stances and backs away. Pantoja aggressively charges, backing Royval up to the wall while dodging a big right hand. Royval scores a right hand, and Pantoja gives him back a kick to the ribs. Pantoja lands another body kick, and he hops away when Royval lifts up a front kick his direction. Pantoja evades a head kick, and he resets to land a low kick and then one to the side. Royval comes up short with two hooks, and Pantoja ducks down and scoops “Raw Dawg” off the ground to dump him on the mat. Pantoja climbs right into half guard, and he takes an illegal upkick on the jaw that backs him off. Goddard warns Royval, and Pantoja stands up and absorbs a few legal upkicks before lowering himself into the guard. Royval flails from off his back, with kicks and punches, and Pantoja hammers him with standing-to-ground punches. Pantoja calms himself down momentarily, and Royval gets away with a fence grab in an effort to flip the champion over. Royval again grabs his fingers and toes in the cage, and he gets warned for it once more. Pantoja shifts over to top position, where he slices into full mount and starts landing ground-and-pound. Royval pushes off and stands up with 30 seconds to spare, and he lets go with a head kick and a left hand. Pantoja shakes it off and slams his shin in the body. They trade big punches, and Pantoja ends the round with a low kick.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pantoja
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pantoja
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pantoja

Round 2

The flyweights meet in the middle with a glove touch, and Royval circles all the way around his foe but gets nailed with a huge right hand. Pantoja follows it up with a body kick, as Royval is reeling. Royval aims a kick back at him, but Pantoja lets him have it with another few punches before pushing him to the wall. They decide not to clinch any longer, and they get back to kickboxing range. Royval tries to time a step-in knee when Pantoja shoots in for a takedown, but Pantoja takes him off his feet and is quick to move to half guard. Pantoja wriggles in an effort to shift into full mount, but he retains heavy top pressure when he does not pass. Royval punches any target he can find off his back, as Pantoja simply lays on top of him for at least a full minute. Pantoja springs back to life and jumps over to sneakily jump to side control, and he attempts to trap Royval’s arm down. Royval spams Donkey Kong punches to the sides of Pantoja’s head, and Pantoja opens up with heavy ground-and-pound, bouncing Royval’s head off the floor. Pantoja backs off, and Royval follows him and walks into a clubbing right hand. Royval’s legs turn to rubber as he tries to walk away, and Pantoja lets him off the hook and does not take advantage of just how hurt the challenger is. Instead, he lets Royval kick at him, so he can take Royval to the mat. Royval gets a bit of space with upkicks until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pantoja
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pantoja
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pantoja

Round 3

There is a speedy tap of the fists to get things going, and again Royval circles completely around his opponent. Pantoja allows him to do this before belting him in the face with a high kick. Pantoja lands a few punches, and Royval’s knees are still a bit weak. Pantoja ducks and shoots for a takedown, cleanly taking “Raw Dawg” off his feet and down to the canvas. Pantoja steps into full mount, and he locks down an arm-triangle choke. Royval turns to his side to follow the submission, and Pantoja looks to take his back and slides off the back. Royval cannot maintain top position for more than a couple seconds, before he springs back up to his feet. Pantoja appears slightly fatigued when upright, while Royval looks fresh as a daisy. Pantoja laces a kick to the ribs, and he scores a right hand when Royval steps in for a knee. Pantoja ducks a right hand to pursue a single, and Royval backs himself against the wire to stuff it. Royval escapes, and he strafes away from lunging, labored single punches from the champion. Pantoja lands two leg kicks and one to the body, and Royval looks to get his boxing going. Pantoja stands firm to land two big right hands after Royval gets one in, and Royval digs a kick to the body and stuffs a takedown. Pantoja swings and misses, and kicks the leg a few times. Royval splits the guard several times with sharp jabs, and he drills Pantoja with a stern knee. This prompts Pantoja to going after and easily hitting a takedown, where he practically lands right in half guard. Pantoja lands punches from above while Royval throws anything he has off his back, and he considers an arm-triangle choke with seconds to spare. Instead, the two slug it out horizontally, and the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pantoja
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Royval
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pantoja

Round 4

Pantoja starts off the round after a glove touch by shooting for a takedown, and he gets it effortlessly. Royval looks to keep Pantoja from moving to a dominant position, but Pantoja slides over to three-quarter mount. Royval spins, and this puts him into a worse position as Pantoja takes his back and locks up a body triangle. Pantoja immediately starts looking for a submission, and Royval pulls his toes off the fence to try to improve his position. Royval punches from behind, and he walks all the way up and down the fence, to no avail. Pantoja continues his tight squeeze on the midsection, and he sneaks his left arm over the face to threaten with a crank. Pantoja switches the hands, and goes palm-to-palm to torque a neck crank. Royval fights the hands to free himself from the submission danger, and he turns with every bit of his energy to spin through a body triangle but does not quite make it all the way around. Pantoja keeps threatening with one arm or the other, and Royval is aware of the submission attempts and protects against them. Pantoja looks to turn things over in mount and go after an arm-triangle choke, and Royval frantically turns him over with 20 seconds to go. Royval sits up to start clubbing the champ with punches and elbows, and Pantoja rolls for a leglock. Pantoja hangs on to a potential submission that is not there, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pantoja
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pantoja
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pantoja

Round 5

The flyweights meet in the middle to start off the final round, and fists are immediately traded. Pantoja throws back slower but still with power, and Royval sits down on every one of his punches in an effort to knock the champ’s head off. Royval cracks his foe with uppercuts and looping punches, and Pantoja gets stung in a few exchanges but throws back with a few leg kicks. Royval is far fresher, and he connects at a torrid pace but cannot do enough damage to make Pantoja think twice. Royval gets tied up in a clinch, and he elbows of the break and throws three punches into a spinning back fist. Pantoja slaps two leg kicks home, and Royval spams jabs. Pantoja thumps the body with a kick, and they both trade leather in rapid succession. Pantoja punches his way into a takedown, and he sucks out the hips but does not get Royval down all the way. “Raw Dawg” sprawls and turns, but Pantoja follows him and hits the takedown he was seeking. Pantoja shifts over to half guard, and he shuts down a turning, flailing, wriggling Royval at every stage. The champ sits up and lands a few punches, aiming strikes to the body when not to the head. Royval tries to scramble madly, and Pantoja’s smothering top control disables this from succeeding. Pantoja steps over to half guard on the other side as soon as Royval gets a moment to breathe, and he moves into mount with 25 seconds left in the match. Royval turns over for one final effort to get up, but Pantoja sits on him and drives several hammerfists into his skull before the fight comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pantoja (50-45 Pantoja)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pantoja (49-46 Pantoja)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pantoja (50-45 Pantoja)

The Official Result

Alexandre Pantoja def. Brandon Royval via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)

UFC Welterweight Title Fight:
Leon Edwards (170) vs. Colby Covington (169.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Edwards (-148), Covington (+124)

Round 1

This headliner, and the final UFC match of 2023, is for all the marbles at 170 pounds. Defending champion Edwards (21-3, 1 NC; 13-2, 1 NC UFC) wants to make loud-mouthed challenger Covington (17-3, 12-3 UFC) pay for what he has said leading up to the fight. What has turned into a serious grudge match will covered by referee Herb Dean, who will stop at nothing to keep things clean despite the fighters’ personal distaste for one another. Unsurprisingly, there is no plan by either welterweight to touch gloves. It’s on with the show. Edwards claims the center of the cage and ignores a head kick. Covington stomps at the knee with a kick, and Edwards paws back his direction with a front kick. Edwards tosses out another front kick to the chest, and he works his way forward to find his range. Covington has a head kick bounce off the guard, and he keeps his own hands high to block a jab. Edwards gets off a slapping low kick, and he parries a punch that is aimed at his head. Both men land rangy punches, with neither committing to anything of merit. Edwards steps in with a left hook, and Covington smiles at him and eats a quick right hand. Covington tries to reach out and set up a clinch, and Edwards pushes him back and connects with a low kick. “Chaos” whiffs with a telegraphed uppercut, and shoots from a distance for a single that is easily stuffed. Edwards slips a punch to land a left, and the blow slices open a small cut on Covington’s right cheek. Edwards walks after him, landing an occasional leg kick, and Covington slips before jumping into action with a front switch kick. Edwards jabs with his foot outstretched, and he turns his hips into a low kick. Covington comes up short on a punch, and the tepid round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Edwards

Round 2

Edwards rushes out of his corner to strike, and he is met with a sudden body kick. Both men land single punches from afar, and Edwards leans back to mark up Covington’s reddening chest with a shin. Covington leaps forward and eats a right hand, and Edwards reaches out with a jab and a low kick. Edwards draws some welting on the outside of Covington’s right leg with his kicks, and he pokes out a jab or two. The volume is through the floor halfway through the round, and accuracy is not particularly high on either side. Edwards has a high kick skim off the guard, and he crowds Covington and blocks a low and high kick. Edwards snipes the American with a left hand around the guard, and Covington responds with a low kick. Edwards sticks out the ball of his foot to the midsection, and he evades a one-two and drills Covington’s lead wheel with a powerful kick. Covington lunges inaccurately to strike, and Edwards reaches him with a solid left. Covington kicks at an angle down at Edwards’ knee, and he jumps out with a front kick that cannot find its target. Edwards just misses when sitting down on a left hand counter, but his front kick does reach its destination. Edwards switches stances constantly to give Covington pause, and he blocks a high kick and takes a jab on the chin as two weak rounds are now in the books.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Edwards

Round 3

Edwards intercepts Covington on his way in to start the melee, and Covington slip again as he is having difficulty with his footing on the cage surface—perhaps from the decals or stickers on the canvas. Edwards fearless walks the challenger down, dodging and blocking the majority of the offense headed his way while giving Covington more back to think about. Edwards counters a jab with an overhand right, and he follows it with a low kick that makes Covington stumble and switch his stances. Covington surges into action, swinging his fists and shooting for a double-leg takedown. Edwards steps over, but in the process, Covington lifts him up slightly and puts the champion on his back. Edwards pushes off and stands, and he thanks Covington for his grappling by kicking “Chaos” upside the head. Edwards says two can play this game, and he secures a double and puts Covington on his back. Covington turns over and works his way back up, with blood leaking from his nose. Covington throws a few punches to close in, and Edwards hand-fights to stop the strikes from fully landing and scores back. Edwards chews up the lead leg of “Chaos” a few more times, which has a few foot-shaped welts right above his knee. The kicks force the wrestler to briefly change his stances, but when he cannot get a good look, he switches back to southpaw. Edwards blocks a front kick and kicks hard on the busted wheel of his opponent, and Covington tries for a takedown from that low kick but cannot get his hands on the Brit. Edwards rifles out a few jabs, and Covington throws a low kick and absorbs one immediately back. Covington gingerly lifts his leg up anticipatorily, and he jumps at the champ with a knee that is nowhere near the mark. Edwards feints low kicks to draw reactions out of Covington until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Edwards

Round 4

The welterweights meet in the middle of the cage, and Edwards tosses aside a front kick offering from his opponent that leads off the round. Covington whiffs on a high kick, and Edwards slams his shin on Covington’s leg. Covington tries to press, and he shoots suddenly for a double. Edwards stifles the first attempt, and Covington redoubles his effort and falls into a front choke. Edwards wraps up a ninja choke, and Covington spins all the way around before it gets sunk in. Covington rolls away and stands back up, where he is forced to retreat as Edwards stalks him like a British Terminator. Making Covington pay a little for his words, Edwards lets loose a heavy left hand that stuns Covington. Edwards prods a kick to the ribs. Covington doubles up on a straight strike and hook, and on the second of that combo, he shoots for a double as his knees drag on the mat floor. Edwards backs himself up against the fence and defends it, turning to one side and then the other to skirt away. Edwards brings up a knee, and his foot bumps into Covington’s cup. Covington waves Dean off, and the two fighters back to trading hands. Covington blitzes his way into short salvos, and Edwards wears them well and defends against the subsequent takedown effort. Covington sits down, and Edwards follows him to one side and gets dragged down from the other direction. Covington takes his back and leans on top of him, but Edwards flips him over and drives a knee into his chest. Both men stand back up, and Edwards counters Covington on the way in. Edwards kicks the midsection once more before the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Edwards

Round 5

It is time for the last round of the last UFC fight of 2023. Edwards takes the center of the cage and kicks Covington in the temple. Covington shrugs it off and blocks a jab. Covington lands a kick under the armpit, and he gets popped with an overhand right while reaching. Covington sells out for a single, and he lifts the champion up and deposits him gingerly down to the mat. Edwards gets to a knee against the fencing, and Covington hangs on from behind but cannot keep him there. Edwards turns him around and drags Covington down to his face. Edwards sneaks a hook in from behind, and he laces his left arm around Covington’s chest for a one-armed rear-naked choke. Edwards turns while Covington tries to sweep him, and he fastens up a triangle choke that turns into an armbar. The Brit cannot secure either submission, and Covington winds up on top. Covington looks to sit up and land some ground-and-pound, but Edwards’ stalwart defense protects himself from anything but a few short body punches. Covington keeps him down in half guard, and the crowd turns on Covington by holding the champion down and doing little else. Edwards holds on as Covington searches for an arm-triangle choke. There is nothing there, and “Chaos” hangs on top until the final horn blared. This is a disappointing end to what was a relatively exciting night of combat, but it should wrap up as a clear-cut defense for the champion against a bitter rival in a bit of a head-scratcher. When the scores are read, the only person who appears remotely surprised is Covington, who looks around confusedly and shrugs his shoulders, as if he genuinely thought he prevailed. On his victorious post-fight interview, Edwards explains how difficult it was for him to control his emotions after the trash talk this week, and he nearly sheds a tear when touching on his father’s murder. When commentator Joe Rogan hands the defeated Covington the microphone, the polarizing figure gives a brief stump speech for the former president, states that he does not have a scratch on him while blood trickles from cuts on his face, and claims he thought he won the fight. He did not, and the crowd almost drowns him out with boos. With that, 2023 is in the books for every major organization but Rizin Fighting Federation, who is running a fight card on New Year’s Eve. Meanwhile, the UFC will be back on Jan. 13 at the UFC Apex. We will be there for it, and after you all enjoy the holidays and break from MMA, we hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Covington (49-46 Edwards)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Covington (49-46 Edwards)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Covington (49-46 Edwards)

The Official Result

Leon Edwards def. Colby Covington via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)