UFC 296: Edwards vs. Covington (12/16/2023) - Las Vegas, NV (T-Mobile Arena)

[Elsalvajeloco]

UFC 296: Edwards vs. Covington 
December 16, 2023
Las Vegas, NV (T-Mobile Arena)

UFC Welterweight Championship: Leon Edwards © (170) vs. Colby Covington (169.5) (second defense) - Edwards, DEC (unanimous)
UFC Flyweight Championship: Alexandre Pantoja © (125) vs. Brandon Royval (124.5) (first defense) - Pantoja, DEC (unanimous)
Shavkat Rakhmonov (171) vs. Stephen Thompson (171) - Rakhmonov, SUB (rear naked choke), R2 (4:56)
Tony Ferguson (155.5) vs. Paddy Pimblett (155.5) - Pimblett, DEC (unanimous)
Josh Emmett (146) vs. Bryce Mitchell (145.5) - Emmett, KO (punch), R1 (1:57)

ESPN2 / ESPN+ Preliminary Card:
Alonzo Menifield (204.5) vs. Dustin Jacoby (204.5) - Menifield, DEC (unanimous)
Irene Aldana (136) vs. Karol Rosa (135.5) - Aldana, DEC (unanimous)
Cody Garbrandt (136) vs. Brian Kelleher (136) - Garbrandt, KO (punch), R1 (3:42)
Casey O'Neill (125) vs. Ariane Lipski (126) - Lipski, SUB (armbar), R2 (1:18)

ESPN+ / Fight Pass Preliminary Card:
Tagir Ulanbekov (126) vs. Cody Durden (126) - Ulanbekov, SUB (neck crank), R2 (4:25)
Andre Fili (145.5) vs. Lucas Almeida (146) - Fili, TKO (punches), R1 (3:32)
Martin Buday (264.5) vs. Shamil Gaziev (259.5) - Gaziev, TKO (punches), R2 (0:56)

Event Bonuses ($50,000)
Performance of the Night: Shamil Gaziev
Performance of the Night: Ariane Lipski
Performance of the Night: Josh Emmett
Fight of the Night: Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa

Attendance: 19,039
Gate: $9.3 million

[The Natural]

BS it's on TNT Sports Box Office instead of TNT Sports over here.

I really hope Leon Edwards has another head kick heard round the world in him like he did to Kamaru Usman in a fight he was losing beating the P4P #1 for the UFC Welterweight Championship. Fuck Colby Covington.

[hammerva]

I understand the gimmick and ultimately he is doing this shit like joking about dead dads to make people want to see him get his face broken into a million pieces.  But at this point given how the UFC is the unofficial sport of MAGA does this even work anymore.     I mean given the company, isn't Leon Edwards the heel in this.  

Edited December 15, 2023 by hammerva

[Elsalvajeloco]

I dunno if UFC (or MMA as it were) is the unofficial sports as much as it's a weird safe haven for those who feel like they need to protect (white male) masculinity like boxing use to be for centuries on end. Once Chael went full xenophobia about ten years back and ushered this white male entitlement era during the back end of the new Tea Party, all bets were off. 

It's bizarre because there was the Bud Light thing once they came back aboard and that angered people cause there was this whole political conspiracy, and Dana's been trying to appease those people with these tirades about not caring what these sponsors think to counter balance that.

Unfortunately though, as 2016 kinda showed us and beyond, I don't think MMA is solely to blame for this weird political connection with sports. You have stuff like OutKick and Barstool also kinda harbors to more conservative folks who just happen to watch sports in a bro-ish kinda way. It is what it is. Combat sports because it's usually brutal and it's one on one will always be symbolic of people's political and moral stances.

[A.M.B.]

I mean I know there’s way more material for me to be embarrassed about than tonight, but Chael and Conor were at least somewhat eloquent even if they are responsible for creating the monster that is the modern UFC press conference. Colby’s schtick is just sad and I’m so tired of guys like him getting the nod over actual humble, active, from all accounts great guys like Belal. I’ve never wanted to see a brutal knockout so bad as in this main event. I’m an MMA fan in spite of the UFC, not because of it. Really hope this lawsuit, merger with the generally more PC WWE, and financial backing of the PFL pushes the UFC to actually start encouraging professional behavior.

it’s pretty sad seeing all these dumb, young, confused men act like hating this stuff makes you soft. Cause you know, all those soft beta males like Yoel, Poatan, anyone out of Dagestan, Shavkat, etc etc etc could be making so much money if they had Dan Lambert write a script for them! I don’t really get why I even use social media and look at instagram comments at this point.

 

[Elsalvajeloco]

32 minutes ago, A.M.B. said:

I mean I know there’s way more material for me to be embarrassed about than tonight, but Chael and Conor were at least somewhat eloquent even if they are responsible for creating the monster that is the modern UFC press conference. Colby’s schtick is just sad and I’m so tired of guys like him getting the nod over actual humble, active, from all accounts great guys like Belal. I’ve never wanted to see a brutal knockout so bad as in this main event. I’m an MMA fan in spite of the UFC, not because of it. Really hope this lawsuit, merger with the generally more PC WWE, and financial backing of the PFL pushes the UFC to actually start encouraging professional behavior.

it’s pretty sad seeing all these dumb, young, confused men act like hating this stuff makes you soft. Cause you know, all those soft beta males like Yoel, Poatan, anyone out of Dagestan, Shavkat, etc etc etc could be making so much money if they had Dan Lambert write a script for them! I don’t really get why I even use social media and look at instagram comments at this point.

 

I generally agree with some of the things you're saying, but none of those of three things can force a change in behavior. I mean the class action lawsuit is reaching YEAR 11. Do you know what has happened in the last eleven years? It's not exactly like it's been dormant. It's been something they've had to deal with. Mind you, what it most likely will affect is how contracts are written in the future. That's basically it. It's just exposed that UFC had shitty contracts (literally even most casuals knew that) and everyone basically followed the UFC's design and ran with it to the point where they didn't want their own skeletons to come out in discovery before the actual trial takes place. The merger won't affect UFC outside of just business names. It's going to be business as usual on that front. I dunno what PFL could do to affect UFC. They've basically replaced Bellator who replaced Strikeforce who replaced Pro Elite and Affliction who replaced PRIDE FC. Unfortunately, they're fighting for a piece of the market that doesn't really exist. Moreover, they only exist in a space where the UFC can just point to them and say, "hey, look we DO have competition" when all their competition has subsequently died in a fifteen year, blood drenched span.

[A.M.B.]

Well that’s why I lean more towards hoping, rather than thinking it actually will. My impression was that the weight of this all possibly blowing up in their face hasn’t hit the UFC till the last year or so but I could very well be wrong. Maybe naive, but I was thinking that by giving the fighters more leverage in contract negotiations, it would increase their bargaining power to make more requests to improve the product, which includes standards of professionalism, or they’ll go somewhere else. It seems like there could be locker room leaders, Khabib type of guys, who would be willing to take a stand against some of this stuff. But maybe that’s something you’d need an entire union for. Ultimately this stuff seems to fall on Dana’s shoulders and he needs to get checked.

[Elsalvajeloco]

30 minutes ago, A.M.B. said:

Well that’s why I lean more towards hoping, rather than thinking it actually will. My impression was that the weight of this all possibly blowing up in their face hasn’t hit the UFC till the last year or so but I could very well be wrong. Maybe naive, but I was thinking that by giving the fighters more leverage in contract negotiations, it would increase their bargaining power to make more requests to improve the product, which includes standards of professionalism, or they’ll go somewhere else. It seems like there could be locker room leaders, Khabib type of guys, who would be willing to take a stand against some of this stuff. But maybe that’s something you’d need an entire union for. Ultimately this stuff seems to fall on Dana’s shoulders and he needs to get checked.

I can definitely respect that point of view, but I would add:

1. I dunno how much respectability and decorum you can expect in prizefighting even if the political involvement wasn't so dreadful. You're always going to have nutjobs who represent a certain segment of society you don't like. Moreover, combat sports has always been symbolic of race vs. race, ethnicity vs. ethnicity, and background vs. background etc. Boxing for 30 or 40 years up until Puerto Rico fell off the map in producing top tier talent survived off of pitting a Puerto Rican vs. Mexican. If all else failed and you're were staging a show in California, Texas, Florida, New York, or their respective countries, put two fighters in there at 154 pounds and under who are from Mexico and Puerto Rico against each other. There were some negative things that came from that as well some positives. However, it became an integral part of the sport. Same way with putting in an African-American fighter with a great white hope. That itself dates even further back to the early 20th century. It's just extremely difficult to reverse those trends even for a young sport in comparison like MMA when you're discussing a gladiatorial sport that produces such visceral reactions. Combat sports is much entertainment and drama (orchestrated or not) as it is pure spectator sport.

2. It's a wholesale change issue where UFC (whether you view it as Dana or in the past Dana, Lorenzo, Joe Silva) being the market leader and those around the market leader not much better in terms of business tactics have created industry wide problems from pay to overall behavior being condoned to drug testing to judging/officiating. IMO I would compare it to having an laptop that still work fine, but that's IN SPITE of having not updated the software in say...10 years. I think the growth of the sport overall once it got regulated in 2001 was amazing. However, some things got progressively worse over the next 20 years when they should have gotten better. At this point, getting rid of Dana would be like buying a New Era cap when you having a gaping head wound. It's bad and multiple things have to be corrected or resolved inside and outside of the UFC. Unfortunately, if you're just purely looking at it from a political belief or connection side, yeah I don't see that being changed. However, it should noted, that itself is not static. Right wing politics will move on to something else. If it ain't MAGA, it will be something just like it is for left wing politics. Remember when the Russia/Ukraine stuff was all that people talked about it? Now people barely talk about it in most relevant spaces. That news cycle is vicious. Combat sports is just capitalizing off of it.

[twiztor]

so yeah, this looks like a good card. unfortunately won't be able to watch it live. hopefully will get a chance Sunday night, but may get pushed to later in the week. i hate doing that, since if there's a new champ, it always gets spoiled for me.

[jaedmc]

In the latest Embedded they feature the face off and they actually subtitle Colby telling Leon "I was in character"  twice. Meanwhile Leon is legit thinking about murder after Colby saying his dad was in hell. This isn't pro-wrestling. If Leon loses, it means he legit got beat up buy a guy who said his dad was in hell.  If Cody Rhodes loses to Roman "I'm the son your Father never had" Reigns, Cody gets to be booked as the top face in the company for a year until it's time to get his revenge. Leon Edwards won't get that. He'll lose money that could go to his family.

I find it baffling that guys like Colby think they "get" how the game works when it comes to promoting fights, but don't understand why another fighters would take it personally. If he wants to do the act, that's fine, free country. But don't think that because your act is a draw and makes money, that it is somehow him doing Leon Edwards a favor.

 

EDIT: LOL They took the original down and put up a re-edited one without the lines..

 

 

 

[Elsalvajeloco]

[Elsalvajeloco]

Andre Fili has been in the UFC for ten years. Damn, time waits for no man.

[jaedmc]

Ariane Lipski was on fire. That armbar was naaaasty.

[jaedmc]

No Love answered the question as to which Cody Garbrandt was going to show up tonight.

Totally down for him vs. Deiveson Figueiredo too.
 

[Elsalvajeloco]

I knew Kelleher was gonna get stopped when he jumped into cage looking like someone shrunk 90s heavyweight fringe contender Jorge Luis Gonzalez. 

I wish guys took fighting as seriously as did getting wacky haircuts.

[jaedmc]

Boy oh boy did Irene Aldana and Karol Rosa set the bar for the night in a big way. Ladies getting bonuses.

Aldana ate a billion leg kicks and checked zero. Never switched stances.

And she just told Rogan the knee was injured before the fight.

Zombie Leg Aldana

[Elsalvajeloco]

Alonzo Menifield would get soundly outstruck for 75% of the round and somehow almost melt Jacoby at any moment.

Jacoby is one of those guys who has been underrated, especially given how sound his striking is. However, because he stands so straight up, he puts himself in danger. He's a much better striker and knows how to use his reach, but Menifield almost KO'd him two or three times. That was the difference in the fight.

[jaedmc]

Dear Josh Emmett,

Please don't let Bryce Mitchell get a live mic.

Yours in Satan,

Jae

[jaedmc]

Jared Leto cageside rocking leather gloves indoors like a goddamn serial killer from an 80's giallo.

[Elsalvajeloco]

In the words of the great Jim Lampley, Josh Emmett threw his right hand and when he went to throw the left, Bryce Mitchell had already vacated the premises.

[John E. Dynamite]

Josh Emmett just saved America and I was in the toilet for it.

If Paddy loses it will be the funniest thing ever.

[DreamBroken]

Aldana/Rosa was an amazing bloody war. Love to see Irene bounce back with a win, one of my top favorites.

[jaedmc]

Flyweights are fucking exhausting.

 

[jaedmc]

Let's see if it works a second time.

Dear Leon Edwards,

Don't let Colby Covington get a live mic.

Yours in Satan,

Jae.

[jaedmc]

LOL who the fuck was that guy in the cage with Leon Edwards.