"Everyone knows what he's coming out to do" - Leon Edwards predicts Colby Covington's strategy for their upcoming showdown at UFC 296

The UFC's final pay-per-view of 2023 will be headlined by the welterweight title fight between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington, and the English champion seems certain of his American counterpart's game plan for the fight.

In an episode of UFC Live ahead of the title fight, Edwards predicted a grappling-heavy approach from his opponent. 'Rocky' said:

"I think everyone knows what he's coming out to do. He is coming out to heavy pressure, swing boxing to shoot on to you and grind you out, burn the clock down, and win that way, you know. I think everyone knows what he coming to do, and I'm prepared for it."

Catch Leon Edwards' comments below (5:30):

Primarily a kickboxer, Leon Edwards struggled against wrestlers early in his career. However, the 32-year-old has shown improvement in that aspect of his game in recent years. In his most recent win against Kamaru Usman, he was largely able to neutralize 'The Nigerian Nightmare's' wrestling effectively.

According to the MMA promotion's official website, 'Rocky' is a -148 favorite against Covington, who is a +124 underdog. This will be Edwards' second title defense and marks Covington's third shot at undisputed UFC gold.

UFC 296 is scheduled for Saturday, December 16, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The pay-per-view co-headliner pits flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja against Brandon Royval.

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Kamaru Usman on Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington

Former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has faced both Leon Edwards and Colby Covington. While 'The Nigerian Nightmare' holds a spotless record against 'Chaos' (2-0), he is 1-2 against the reigning welterweight champion.

As such, when he was asked about what he thought about Edwards vs. Covington during a media interaction, the 36-year-old gave props to both fighters without making a decisive prediction for the bout:

"I think he [Colby Covington] definitely can [win], but Leon is sharp. When he is able to get off, and he has the opportunity to do what he does, I think he can land some things, but Colby's relentless pressure pays. It kind of trumps a lot of the guys.

The former welterweight champion added:

"He [Covington] fights a little different[ly] than me. Like, I'm going to hit you with shots that are going to put you out. For him, he is going to hit you with shots that are just going to drain you... So we'll see. I'll be watching that fight closely."

Catch Kamaru Usman's comments below (0:35):