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Listen to the Level Change as we talk UFC 296 Now!
UFC 296 is a card done right and proof that when the UFC wants to, they can absolutely put on great events. With the stranglehold they have over the sport, all their cards could look a lot better and they certainly need to get the majority of them out of that stinkin’ Apex facility, but I digress. We need to stay on track here.
Two title fights sit atop a bout sheet that is loaded with important bouts primed for movement up the contender’s ladder. Even those dreaded heavyweight fights aren’t so bad. Pairing an 11-0 athlete with a 13-1 athlete is a much better idea than constantly dragging out aging guys on the tail end of their careers.
Top to bottom, it’s one of the best cards of the year on paper. A proper end to a wild year filled with news that showcased the UFC’s wealth and power to an extent that shocked fans and media alike. This is the kind of event you reward your diehard fans with., even if we’re no longer your focus.
For a card of this magnitude, we had to get Mookie Alexander back on the show to break it down from the opening bout all the way to the headliner. We skipped no fights—every last one is predicted. You’re welcome. Here’s the card in its entirety:
UFC 296: Edwards vs. Covington Full fight card
Main card
- – Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington: Welterweight Title
- – Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval: Flyweight Title
- – Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson: Welterweight
- – Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett: Lightweight
- – Ian Machado Garry vs. Vicente Luque: Welterweight
Prelims
- – Josh Emmettn vs. Bryce Mitchell: Featherweight
- – Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa: (W) Bantamweight
- – Cody Garbrandt vs. Brian Kelleher: Bantamweight
- – Casey O’Neill vs. Ariane Lipski: (W) Flyweight
- – Dustin Jacoby vs. Alonzo Menifield: Light Heavyweight
- – Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Cody Durden: Flyweight
- – Andre Fili vs. Lucas Almeida: Featherweight
- – Shamil Gaziev vs. Martin Buday: Heavyweight
- – Randy Brown vs. Muslim Salikhov: Welterweight
Bonus Section: Jake Paul out-Googled UFC, boxing in 2023
In our bonus section, we take a look at some of the headlines of the week. The Google report that showed Jake Paul’s antics still have him drawing better in Google searches than Conor McGregor, the UFC and boxing as a whole. We also discussed California’s boneheaded move to sanction Power Slap.
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