UFC 296 breakdown: Will Leon Edwards be the latest to deny Colby Covington a title?

The main event for UFC 296 features a welterweight title fight between two southpaws, Leon Edwards and Colby Covington.

Although the southpaw vs. southpaw pairing typically presents some problems in the form of discomfort and defense (given that most southpaws predicate their games against orthodox opposition), I’m not sure how much of a factor it will be for either fighter considering both their records in these types of affairs and the dynamic of the overall matchup.

Technically unbeaten against southpaws on paper (clocking in at 5-0 officially), Covington has been working hard to improve his striking since stepping onto the UFC scene.

From not crossing his feet to resetting his angles on the outside, Covington has displayed the ability to create lanes for his favored kicks and crosses off of his power side – shots that were often set up by his jab.

Since parting ways with American Top Team, Covington has since built upon said skills at MMA Masters. The 35-year-old standout will still occasionally roll under his crosses, but now Covington will typically do so while stepping through into an orthodox stance to set up power from that side.

Covington also appears to be more content to fight off the back foot in his last couple of contests, showing an improved countering acumen. The former interim titleholder can still sneak in savvy uppercuts in exchanges, demonstrating a more diversified shot selection overall (especially when pressuring forward).

That said, high-volume or pressuring approaches often come with a cost, as Covington will need to be mindful of his English counterpart’s potential counters.

A slick, diverse striker who can counter or come forward with effect, Edwards’ pairing of speed and accuracy helps him cover a lot of ground in regards to gaining respect.

Working behind a deceptive jab that he often uses to check his opponents, Edwards keeps powerful left crosses and kicks at the ready, occasionally sprinkling in sneaky teeps and explosive knees to intercept oncoming level changes. The Englishman also doesn’t mind throwing a shot away in order to land another, as Edwards seems perfectly fine with making adjustments on the fly.

Whenever his opponents offer up straight shots down the center, Edwards has a knack for countering over the tops of their shoulders. And when they decide to hook hard or launch power from the rear, Edwards is quick to suffocate their efforts by initiating the clinch and applying his patent close-quarter-combat tactics.

Even though I see Edwards’ left elbow having some play in this fight, the distance he likes to launch it at will likely invite a very sticky customer.