Athletes
The Bigger Picture | UFC 296: Edwards vs Covington
Addressing Some Of The Key Takeaways From Saturday’s 2023 UFC Finale at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
And now, the end is here / And so I face that final curtain…
Okay, perhaps quoting “Old Blue Eyes” is a bit dramatic, but with UFC 296 in the books, that means we’re at the end of the slate for 2023 inside the Octagon, and while there will still be plenty of killer content coming your way here on UFC.com over the next few weeks as we transition into the new year, the end of the season always makes me sentimental.
This has been an outstanding year, and Saturday’s finale at T-Mobile Arena gave us a lot to talk about here, so for the final time this year, let’s take a look at The Bigger Picture.
Champs Retain, Challengers Lining Up
Both Leon Edwards and Alexandre Pantoja left Las Vegas still stationed atop their respective divisions after each earned unanimous decision victories at UFC 296.
Edwards made things a little tougher on himself than perhaps necessary by wading into the grappling waters with Colby Covington, but “Rocky” dominated the first four rounds and looked tremendous for much of the contest, showcasing his precise, technical striking and continually improving wrestling skills, as well.
Pantoja opted to attack Brandon Royval’s takedown defense and grind out a victory on the canvas, retaining the flyweight title and registering his second win over the Factory X man in the process. The Brazilian is so fundamentally sharp on the canvas that even a fighter like Royval that is adept at creating scrambles couldn’t get free, and while Pantoja couldn’t find a finish, the outcome was never really in doubt.
As each man relishes closing out the year with gold still around their waist, they should also be looking ahead of 2024 because each has a collection of challengers queuing up, eager for their opportunity to try and knock them from their individual perches.
The welterweight titleholder has some unfinished business with Belal Muhammad, and fellow UFC 296 victor Shavkat Rakhmonov continues to be ridiculously impressive (more on him later), while the ascending trio of Sean Brady, Jack Della Maddalena, and Ian Machado Garry could all punch their tickets to contention in the first half of next year.
Leon Edwards Post-Fight Press Conference | UFC 296
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Leon Edwards Post-Fight Press Conference | UFC 296
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Having settled things with The Brandons in 2023, Pantoja could be looking at another rematch in 2024 if Manel Kape keeps winning, or a date with Amir Albazi if “The Prince” gets past Moreno in Q1. Beyond those two, there is a group of emerging names with championship ambitions led by Muhammad Mokaev starting to creep closer to the top of the division.
What’s going to be interesting to see (at least to me) is how Edwards and Pantoja each approach their next matchups, as they both made choices on Saturday night that could be far more dangerous against future opponents.
UFC 296 REWIND: The Scorecard | Photo Gallery
Edwards’ only down moment of the fight came in the fifth, when he ended up on bottom after opting to wrestle with Covington, and although he landed on his back after chasing a triangle choke, similar choices against Muhammad or Rakhmonov could carry costlier penalties. And as tremendous as Pantoja is on the ground, Royval showed in Round 5 that steady output, even when controlled for long stretches, can and does win rounds, so he may want to open up a bit more from top position in order to really salt away those frames in the future.
Each of these divisions is brimming with talent and the men sitting at the head of the table are going to have to keep upping their games in they want to continue ruling their respective weight classes through to the end of next year.
Rakhmonov Keeps Rolling
After Rakhmonov submitted Stephen Thompson on Saturday night, I jumped on X and opined that “we’re all too mellow about 18 up, 18 down, all finishes,” adding that it’s “ABSOLUTELY INSANE,” yes in all caps.
It’s rare that we see an ascending fighter continuing dominating the way the 29-year-old welterweight contender has while working his way forward in the division.
Finishing the first couple guys you face in the Octagon? Sure. Posting three, four, five straight wins to begin your UFC tenure? It’s been done a bunch of times. But winning six straight, all by stoppage, while facing more seasoned, more experienced, more dangerous opposition every time out? It’s freakishly impressive, and only becomes more impressive when you learn — as we all did following the event — that Rakhmonov was dealing with a serious ankle injury that prompted him to change his game plan and had him thinking about pulling out of the fight.
Dana White's UFC 296 Post-Fight Press Conference
Some will want to follow the standard “pick at the win” playbook and talk about Thompson’s age, the stylistic advantage Rakhmonov had in the grappling department, and whatever else they feel the need to say in order to try and take away from this effort, but the guy went out there and absolutely dominated a two-time title challenger and Top 10 staple, becoming the first man to submit “Wonderboy” in his career, and did so on a bad wheel.
Getting healthy is Priority No. 1 for Rakhmonov, but whenever he’s ready to return, we need to spend a little more time being a little more in awe of what this man is doing inside the Octagon because it is amazing.
Scary Power
Josh Emmett entered the year on a five-fight winning streak, positioned opposite Yair Rodriguez in an interim featherweight title fight in February.
He entered Saturday’s matchup with Bryce Mitchell on a two-fight skid, having been submitted by Rodriguez and then out-worked by Ilia Topuria in June, prompting many to question whether the 38-year-old featherweight fixture was starting to lose his footing in the Top 10.
One right hand at UFC 296 answered that question.
Emmett’s knockout win over Mitchell was one of the most devastating finishes I can remember seeing in my lifetime of watching and covering UFC events. It was a perfect counter to the shot offered by the Arkansas native and landed with such speed, such force, such precision that it genuinely sounded like a 450-foot home run had just been hit…and that was through my television; I cannot fathom what it sounded like live in that building.
First and foremost, I hope Mitchell is okay, takes all the time required to recover, and eventually gets back to it, because he’s an excellent fighter and tremendous character.
Secondly, when we talk about “fight-changing power” in analyzing fights and breaking down competitors, this is what we’re talking about. The fact that Emmett has a bazooka attached to each of his hands makes him a permanent threat at ’45 because there just aren’t many guys — if any — that hit that way in the featherweight ranks.
He’s fought backwards in the division a bunch over the years, and after a finish like that, a date with someone stationed ahead of him in the hierarchy feels like the right call.
Quick Hitters
Alonzo Menifield carrying the nickname “Atomic” makes perfect sense because he is another one of those guys with “instantly shift things” power in his hands. Dustin Jacoby was on his way to winning the third round behind his jab and technical proficiency until Menifield touched him up a little and turned the tables. Menifield is a dark horse in the light heavyweight division.
I’m not really sure how Irene Aldana and Karol Rosa managed to stay upright for all 15 minutes of their preliminary card battle. This was not only the hands-down Fight of the Night at UFC 296, but should be on everyone’s year-end list of the best fights of the year; it clocked in at No. 5 for me.
Ariane Lipski is really rounding into form, having registered her third straight win on Saturday night. The Brazilian is the latest in a long list of fighters that had some initial struggles inside the Octagon, but has started putting things together in their late 20s and early 30s, which is, historically, when athletes reach their prime and fighters enjoy the best years of their careers. She looks like a Top 10 talent right now, and should have a number next to her name to start 2024.
Tagir Ulanbekov is another name to keep tabs on in the flyweight division. He earned a second straight submission win on Saturday, halting Cody Durden’s four-fight run of success, and comes from the same camp as lightweight boss Islam Makhachev. He’s experienced and skilled, and if he can fight more than once a year, the 32-year-old could force his way into more high-profile matchups and perhaps even the title conversation.
One Last Thing
Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis get into fight in crowd at UFC 296
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis get into fight in crowd at UFC 296
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This was an outstanding way to wrap the year, and December was absolutely bonkers in terms of the action we saw inside the Octagon.
There were 35 fights this month across three events, with 22 of them ending inside the distance. Champions defended their titles, new contenders emerged, and a bunch of familiar names showed they’re not going anywhere, either, all while a host of young, ascending standouts continued to show that the future is bright as well.
We get caught up in being critical and negative quite a bit these days, especially on social media, but as a fight fan, events like UFC 296 and months like this fill me with excitement and energy heading into the annual end-of-year break.
Enjoy the holidays. Take care of yourselves and your loved ones. Be good to one another.
See you in 2024.
UFC 296: Edwards vs Covington took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 16, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
