Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington – Fight Preview & Analysis

UFC 296: Edwards vs. Covington is scheduled to take place on Saturday, December 16, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. In one of the matchups on the fight card, Leon “Rocky” Edwards will take on Colby “Chaos” Covington in the UFC Welterweight Title Bout. You can view the full UFC 296 card.

Edwards brings a unique southpaw fighting stance with an 74″ reach. In contrast, Covington, an orthodox fighter, stands with a 72″ reach. These variations in their styles can have a significant impact inside the Octagon.

With a 53% striking accuracy, Edwards has shown his precision in landing significant strikes, averaging around 2.8 per minute. On the other hand, Covington boasts a 39% striking accuracy, landing approximately 4.1 significant strikes per minute.

In this post, we will break down Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington matchup. Let’s take a look at the fighter’s ages, their height, records, reach, fight stats, and more below ⤵

The 33-year-old, Leon Edwards is coming in with a 21-3-0 (1 NC) record. Edwards will be fighting for the first time since a win via M-DEC against Kamaru Usman at UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3 in March.

Covington, meanwhile, is coming off a unanimous decision win against Jorge Masvidal on March 18, 2023, at UFC 272: Covington vs. Masvidal and holds a 17-3-0 record.

Leon Edwards has a southpaw fighting stance with an 74″ reach. The 36-year-old Colby Covington is an orthodox fighter with a 72″ reach. An orthodox fighter stands with their left side forward and jabs with their left hand. The southpaw fighter is the opposite. Southpaw stands with their right side forward and jabs with their right hand. In most cases, orthodox fighters are right-handed; if you are left-handed, you fight southpaw.

Leon Edwards stats

→ Edwards’s striking accuracy is 53%.
→ Edwards lands 2.8 significant strikes per minute.
→ Edwards’s takedown accuracy is 33%.
→ Edwards’s takedown average is 1.26 per 15 minutes.
→ Edwards’s takedown defense is 69%.

Edwards comes in with 53% striking accuracy, typically landing about 2.8 significant strikes every minute. Conversely, Covington fires at 39% accuracy, landing about 4.1 significant strikes per minute. Leon Edwards also has a 33% takedown accuracy and, on average, gets around 1.26 takedowns every 15 minutes, compared to Covington’s 4.05 takedowns and 72% takedown accuracy.

Colby Covington stats

→ Covington’s striking accuracy is 39%.
→ Covington lands 4.1 significant strikes per minute.
→ Covington’s takedown accuracy is 45%.
→ Covington’s takedown average is 4.05 per 15 minutes.
→ Covington’s takedown defense is 72%.

Colby spent, on average, 16:34 minutes in the Octagon, and Leon has an average fight time of 16:24 minutes.

Considering their records, fighting styles, and recent performances, this matchup looks to be a fun clash of skills and strategies. Who will come out victorious, Leon or Colby? Sound off in the comments.

You can view the scheduled UFC 296 fight card, upcoming UFC schedule 2023, and latest MMA news.