Welterweight champion Leon Edwards is confident he will dominate former interim champion Colby Covington at their upcoming UFC 296 bout, scheduled for December 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
"Like I said, this is his fourth title shot. I feel like he knows this is his last one," said Edwards.
"As far as what's on the line for me, how long it took me to get it, so I feel like we've both got a lot to prove in there. So, I am 100 percent focused for the best Colby. I know he's been out for almost two years come December."
Edwards claimed the welterweight belt after knocking out Kamaru Usman, who had been the long-reigning champ, with a head kick at UFC 278. This victory ended Usman's 19-fight win streak, including five title defenses.
"But, I just can't see what he goes in there and does. I've been the active one. I'm the younger one," said Edwards.
"He hasn't beat no one under the age of 35, 36 since I don't know. If you're judging his wins off Robbie , Woodley and Masvidal, he's in for a total shock what's going to happen on fight night."
Predictions on Covington vs. Edwards
Esteemed figures in the MMA community, such as former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns, Chael Sonnen and Henry Cejudo, have collectively asserted that Covington might pose a more formidable challenge for Edwards than "The Nigerian Nightmare."
Adding to the mix, UFC interim heavyweight belt holder Tom Aspinall has also offered his predictions for the main event. The British fighter expressed confidence in Edwards, citing his strategic approach to fighting. He believes Edwards will outsmart Covington.
"I think that Leon is just a slick operator. He fights with his brain, which is great. I think that Leon is just going to outsmart him. He might get taken down a few times in the fight because Colby is a great wrestler," he said.
"Leon is going to make him walk into something. He will set traps as he does and will catch him before the five rounds is up and finish him."
Covington, known as "Chaos," is one of the UFC's toughest wrestlers, praised for his incredible stamina and unwavering fighting spirit.
With a strong wrestling background, including being a two-time Pac-10 champion, Covington blends wrestling and grappling into his MMA game. His strategy is to take opponents down and control them on the ground, with a focus on ground and pound.
If initial takedowns fail, Covington chains them into the next attempts to wear his opponents down. His exceptional cardio allows him to keep up an intense pace in a five-round fight.
A southpaw, his stand-up strategy prioritizes volume and forward pressure, exemplified by his record-breaking 541 strikes thrown against Robbie Lawler in 2019 before being surpassed by Max Holloway with 746 attempted strikes in 2021.
Expecting a victory over Edwards, Covington anticipates facing high-profile opponents, having called out Islam Makhachev, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.
