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Two premier players of the UFC’s welterweight division face off as Leon Edwards defends the UFC welterweight title against Colby Covington at UFC 296. The fight in the T-Mobile Arena airs on ESPN+ PPV in the U.S. on December 16.
Edwards turned pro in 2011 and has been with the UFC since 2014. "Rocky" is on a twelve-fight unbeaten streak dating back to 2016, with the only rough patch of his career being a no-contest against Belal Muhammad. It may be hostile territory in Las Vegas for the English fighter due to his opponent's unique following, but he is confident he will still be called champion by the end of UFC 296.
"I see him starting fast, like he always does," Edwards said on The MMA Hour via MMA News. "I think I stop him in round two or three. Either by knocking him out or submission. I feel like he's just too careless in the way he competes. He's too careless for someone like me. I'm just way better than him, and I truly believe that.”
The upcoming fight is essentially Covington’s last shot at gold. “Chaos” is 2-2 in his previous four fights and 0-2 in title fights. The former interim UFC welterweight champion last fought in March 2022 but remains at the top of the rankings. Covington has embraced his status as a top contender to go along with a controversial, brash persona.
WATCH: UFC 296: Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington, exclusively on ESPN+
“Everybody’s hated me. I’ve always been the villain, the bad guy,” Covington told ESPN via The Body Lock. “It’s okay, I like playing that role, it’s a lot funner that way. They’re jealous, and they’re envious… they wish they could do the things I do. I’m not really worried about anybody else.”
The Sporting News looks into the purse history and net worth of the fighters and what they may earn at UFC 296.
Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington fight purse, prize money
The official UFC 296 purse has not been released, but previous payouts for Edwards and Covington could help provide insight into how much they will earn on fight night.
In his UFC debut, Edwards earned $66,000, per The Sports Daily. When he beat Rafael dos Anjos in 2019, Edwards made $118,000. Facing Belal Muhammad, Edwards made $120,000 and against Nate Diaz in June 2021, he took home $231,000.
Facing Kamaru Usman for the first time in 2015, Edwards made $17,500, per The Sports Daily. Per the Utah Athletic Commission (via MMA Fighting), Edwards took home $350,000 in the rematch at UFC 278, where Edwards became UFC welterweight champion. That does not include fight bonuses. In the trilogy fight at UFC 286, Edwards made $42,000 via the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay per MMA Junkie. Per Essentially Sports, Edwards made out with a total of $1.3 million.
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When he made his UFC debut in 2014, Covington earned $16,000 (per The Sports Daily). Beating dos Anjos for the interim UFC welterweight title, he made $380,000. At UFC 268, Covington fought Usman in a rematch for the welterweight title inside Madison Square Garden. Covington reportedly made $532,000 after making $580,000 in the first fight.
"Chaos" made $11,000 in his grudge fight against Jorge Masvidal via the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay per MMA Junkie.
Leon Edwards' net worth
Via FirstSportz and Wealthy Gorilla, Leon Edwards has a net worth of around $1.5 million.
Comparing him to other champions in the UFC, Jon Jones has a net worth of $3 million, while Alexander Volkanovski’s net worth is about $3.5 million.
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Colby Covington's net worth
Per Celebrity Net Worth, Colby Covington has a net worth of about $4 million.
Covington has a wide variety of endorsements that have added to his value.