UFC 296 highlights [UPDATED LIVE]

It's the final UFC card of the year -- let alone the final UFC pay-per-view of the year -- and the promotion intends to go out with a bang with UFC 296, live from Las Vegas.

In the main event, we have a highly heated matchup for the UFC welterweight championship that sees Leon Edwards defend against Colby Covington.

Edwards enters this fight on a 12-fight unbeaten streak, having not lost since a December 2015 fight with Kamaru Usman. Edwards won the championship with his spectacular, last-round comeback knockout of Usman at UFC 278 before defeating him in their trilogy bout at UFC 286 in March.

This marks Covington's first fight in nearly two years, with his last fight coming in March 2022, when he defeated Jorge Masvidal in the main event of UFC 272. Covington had two welterweight title shots when Usman was champion, coming up short in both fights at UFC 245 and UFC 268.

The UFC 296 co-main event will also see gold on the line, as Alexandre Pantoja makes his first defense of the UFC flyweight championship when he takes on Brandon Royval. This will be a rematch of their August 2021 encounter, which Pantoja won via second-round rear-naked choke.

Pantoja has won four straight and claimed the UFC flyweight title with a split decision win over Brandon Moreno at UFC 290. Since the loss to Pantoja, meanwhile, Royval has won three straight, most recently knocking out Matheus Nicolau at UFC Kansas City in April.

This story will be updated live throughout the night.

UFC 296 live highlights [Updated]

Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington

Leon Edwards defeated Colby Covington via unanimous decision (49-46 x3)

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval

Alexandre Pantoja defeated Brandon Royval via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)

Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson

Shavkat Rakhmonov defeated Stephen Thompson via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2 - 4:56

Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett

Paddy Pimblett defeated Tony Ferguson via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Josh Emmett vs. Bryce Mitchell

Josh Emmett defeated Bryce Mitchell via KO, Round 1 - 1:57

Alonzo Menifield vs. Dustin Jacoby

Alonzo Menifield def. Dustin Jacoby via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa

Irene Aldana defeated Karol Rosa via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Cody Garbrandt vs. Brian Kelleher

Casey O'Neill vs. Ariane Lipski

Ariane Lipski defeated Casey O'Neill via submission (armbar), Round 2 - 1:18

Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Cody Durden

Tagir Ulanbekov defeated Cody Durden via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2 - 4:25

Andre Fili vs. Lucas Almeida

Andre Fili defeated Lucas Almeida via TKO, Round 1 - 3:32

Martin Buday vs. Shamil Gaziev

Shamil Gaziev defeated Martin Buday via TKO, Round 2 - 0:56

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