UFC 296: Edwards vs Covington Card, Odds, Start Time, Betting Trends, & How to Watch
Written by: Devon Platana
Published: Sat Dec 16, 2023, 11:29 am ET
Read Time: 7 minutes
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After a successful weekend at the Apex, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is back at it with UFC 296 on Saturday, Dec. 16. This weekend's final pay-per-view of the year airs live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a massive 14-fight card that bettors won't want to miss.
As usual, Betting News will spend the next few days covering all of your MMA betting needs, beginning with today's UFC 296 preview, which includes the latest odds and trends for each of Saturday's fights.
Let's dive in!
UFC 296 Preview: Main Card Odds & Trends
UFC 296 odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of 11:33 a.m. ET on Monday, Dec. 11.
UFC 296 Main Event: Leon Edwards (c) vs. Colby Covington — Welterweight Championship
Edwards vs. Covington Odds
- Leon Edwards (-163)
- Colby Covington (+143)
Edwards vs. Covington Round Total
- Over 4.5 Rounds (-200)
- Under 4.5 Rounds (+160)
Edwards vs. Covington Betting Trends
- Edwards is 11-0 with a no-contest in his last 12 fights ahead of UFC 296.
- Covington is 9-2 in his last 11 fights.
- Five of Edwards' last seven fights went the distance.
- Five of Covington's last seven fights also went the distance.
- Edwards is 10-1-1 in his last 12 fights as the favorite.
- Covington is 0-2 in his last two fights as the underdog.
UFC 296 Co-Main Event: Alexandre Pantoja (c) vs. Brandon Royval — Flyweight Championship
Pantoja vs. Royval Odds
- Alexandre Pantoja (-188)
- Brandon Royval (+163)
Pantoja vs. Royval Round Total
- Over 2.5 Rounds (+120)
- Under 2.5 Rounds (-150)
Pantoja vs. Royval Betting Trends
- Pantoja is 4-0 in his last four fights.
- Royval is 3-0 in his last three fights.
- Pantoja boasts a 69.2% finish rate.
- There was a finish in eight of Royval's nine previous bouts.
- Pantoja owns an average fight time of 11:11.
- Royval owns an average fight time of 6:28.
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson — Welterweight
Rakhamonov vs Thompson Odds
- Shavkat Rakhmonov (-600)
- Stephen Thompson (+425)
Rakhamonov vs Thompson Round Total
- Over 1.5 Rounds (-165)
- Under 1.5 Rounds (+135)
Rakhamonov vs Thompson Betting Trends
- Rakhmonov is currently undefeated, beginning his MMA career with a 17-0 record.
- Thompson is 4-5-1 in his last 10 fights and hasn't fought since December 2022.
- Rakhmonov owns a 100% finish rate.
- Nine of Thompson's last 11 fights went the distance.
- Rakhmonov is 5-0 in his last five fights as the favorite.
- Thompson is 2-0 in his last two fights as the underdog.
Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett — Lightweight
Ferguson vs Pimblett Odds
- Tony Ferguson (+278)
- Paddy Pimblett (-338)
Ferguson vs Pimblett Round Total
- Over 2.5 Rounds (-105)
- Under 2.5 Rounds (-125)
Ferguson vs Pimblett Betting Trends
- Ferguson has lost six consecutive fights ahead of UFC 296.
- Pimblett is currently on a six-fight winning streak.
- Ferguson has been finished four times in his last six fights.
- Pimblett owns a 75.0% finish rate.
- Ferguson is 1-3 in his last four fights as the underdog.
- Pimblett is 4-0 in his last four fights as the favorite.
Josh Emmett vs. Bryce Mitchell — Featherweight
Emmett vs Mitchell Odds
- Josh Emmett (+208)
- Bryce Mitchell (-243)
Emmett vs Mitchell Round Total
- Over 2.5 Rounds (-190)
- Under 2.5 Rounds (+160)
Emmett vs Mitchell Betting Trends
- Emmett is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his career.
- Mitchell rebounded from his first-ever loss with a unanimous decision win over Dan Ige.
- Emmett has gone the distance four times in his last five fights.
- Four of Mitchell's last five fights also went the distance.
- Emmett owns an average fight time of 13:47.
- Mitchell owns an average fight time of 12:49.
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UFC 296 Preview: Preliminary Card Odds & Trends
Alonzo Menifield vs. Dustin Jacoby — Light Heavyweight
Menifield vs Jacoby Odds
- Alonzo Menifield (+229)
- Dustin Jacoby (-269)
Menifield vs Jacoby Round Total
- Over 1.5 Rounds (-183)
- Under 1.5 Rounds (+153)
Menifield vs Jacoby Betting Trends
- Menifield is 3-0-1 in his last four fights ahead of UFC 296.
- Jacoby is 5-2 in his last seven fights.
- Menifield has finished three of his last four opponents.
- Jacoby owns a 68.4% career finish rate.
- Menifield is 1-0-1 in his last two fights as the underdog.
- Jacoby is 5-2 in his last seven fights as the favorite.
Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa — Women's Bantamweight
Aldana vs Rosa Odds
- Irene Aldana (-178)
- Karol Rosa (+153)
Aldana vs Rosa Round Total
- Over 2.5 Rounds (-325)
- Under 2.5 Rounds (+250)
Aldana vs Rosa Betting Trends
- Aldana is 7-3 in her last 10 fights.
- Rosa is 8-2 in her last 10 fights.
- Three of Aldana's last five fights ended with a finish.
- Each of Rosa's last eight fights went the distance.
- Aladana's is 4-1 in five previous fights in Las Vegas.
- Rosa is 3-1 in her last four fights in Las Vegas.
Cody Garbrandt vs. Brian Kelleher — Bantamweight
Garbrandt vs Kelleher Odds
- Cody Garbrandt (-181)
- Brian Kelleher (+156)
Garbrandt vs Kelleher Round Total
- Over 2.5 Rounds (-105)
- Under 2.5 Rounds (-125)
Garbrandt vs Kelleher Betting Trends
- Garbrandt is 2-5 in his last seven fights.
- Kelleher lost via first-round submission in each of his last two outings.
- Garbrandt owns a 76.9% finish rate.
- Kelleher owns a 75.0% finish rate.
- Garbrandt is 6-3 in his last nine fights as the favorite.
- Kelleher is 4-6 in his last 10 fights as the underdog.
Casey O'Neill vs. Ariane Lipski — Women's Flyweight
O'Neill vs Lipski Odds
- Casey O'Neill (-194)
- Ariane Lipski (+168)
O'Neill vs Lipski Round Total
- Over 2.5 Rounds (-200)
- Under 2.5 Rounds (+160)
O'Neill vs Lipski Betting Trends
- O'Neill is coming off the first-ever loss in her MMA career.
- Lipski is 2-0 since returning to the flyweight division in March 2023.
- Only two of O'Neill's last six fights went the distance.
- Four of Lipski's seven previous fights featured a finish.
- O'Neill owns an average fight time of 12:16.
- Lipski owns an average fight time of 11:09.
UFC 296 Preview: Early Prelim Odds & Trends
Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Cody Durden — Flyweight
Ulanbekov vs Durden Odds
- Tagir Ulanbekov (-166)
- Cody Durden (+146)
Ulanbekov vs Durden Round Total
- Over 2.5 Rounds (-225)
- Under 2.5 Rounds (+185)
Ulanbekov vs Durden Betting Trends
- Ulanbekov owns a 6-1 record in his last seven fights.
- Duren is on a four-fight winning streak.
- Ulanbekov went the distance in three of four UFC fights thus far.
- Durden went the distance in each of his last three outings.
- Ulanbekov has an average fight time of 11:48.
- Durden has an average fight time of 10:03.
Andre Fili vs. Lucas Almeida — Featherweight
Fili vs Almeida Odds
- Andre Fili (-157)
- Lucas Almeida (+137)
Fili vs Almeida Round Total
- Over 2.5 Rounds (+110)
- Under 2.5 Rounds (-140)
Fili vs Almeida Betting Trends
- Fili only has two victories in his last seven outings.
- Almeida is 2-2 in his last four fights.
- Five of Fili's last seven fights went the distance.
- Almeida only went the distance once in 16 previous fights.
- Fili is 7-6-1 in his last 14 fights as the favorite.
- Almeida is 1-1 in two fights as the underdog in the UFC.
Martin Buday vs. Shamil Gaziev — Heavyweight
Buday vs Gaziev Odds
- Martin Buday (-123)
- Shamil Gaziev (+103)
Buday vs Gaziev Round Total
- Over 1.5 Rounds (-200)
- Under 1.5 Rounds (+160)
Buday vs Gaziev Betting Trends
- Buday is on a 12-fight winning streak ahead of UFC 296.
- Gaziev is a perfect 11-0 to begin his MMA career.
- Three of Buday's last four fights reached the round limit.
- Gaziev finished 10 of his first 11 opponents.
- Buday has an average fight time of 10:09.
- Gaziev has an average fight time of 2:38.
UFC 296 Preview FAQ
When is UFC 296?
- UFC 296 will take place on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023.
Where is UFC 296?
- UFC 296 will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
What time does UFC 296 start?
- Early Prelims Start Time: 6 p.m. ET
- Preliminary Card Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Main Card Start Time: 10 p.m. ET
How can I watch UFC 296?
- Early Prelims Channel: ESPN+
- Preliminary Card Channel: ESPN2, ESPN+
- Main Card Channel: ESPN+, Pay-Per-View
How can I bet on UFC 296?
- All of the top online sports betting sites will have UFC 296 odds, but here are some of the sites we recommend most for MMA betting enthusiasts.
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Devon is a Master of Journalism graduate who joined the sports betting world in 2020. His favorite leagues to cover are the NHL, NBA and NFL, and has a soft spot for fantasy football specifically. Outside of sports, he enjoys the finer things in life like pasta, live music and getting even more tattoos.
This site contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Betting News makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.
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