UFC 296 Countdown: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval

The UFC 296 co-main event between flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval is featured in this edition of UFC 296 Countdown.  The event takes place at T-Mobile Arena on Dec, 16, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Royval (15-6) is ranked second in the UFC’s 125-pound division.  He’s riding a three-fight winning streak with back-to-back finishes, and holds a submission win over Pantoja from 2021.  

The fight will be the first title defense for Pantoja (26-5) since winning the title from Brandon Moreno in July.  Former welterweight champion Matt Hughes once said, ‘You’re not a champion unless you defend the belt,’ and that’s what Pantoja will try to do on Dec. 16, in Las Vegas.  

The event is headlined by a welterweight title fight against champion Leon Edwards (21-3 (1)) and Colby Covington (17-3).  Covington hasn’t fought since July 2021 when he soundly defeated Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272.  

Edwards hasn’t lost a fight since December 2015, and is coming off back-to-back wins over former champion Kamaru Usman.  

UFC 296 Countdown Video: Pantoja vs. Royval