UFC Best Bets For UFC 296

Read on below to find out UFC Best Bets for this weekend’s UFC 296!

Leon Edwards © vs Colby Covington – Welterweight Title 

Leon Edwards comes into this fight on Saturday night, looking to defend his welterweight title against Colby Covington. Things got very heated in the press conference as Colby Covington disrespected Leon Edwards, deceased father and that gives Leon Edwards plenty of bulletin board material ahead of this fight on Saturday night at UFC 296. We may possibly see the most motivated Leon Edwards that we have seen throughout his mixed martial arts career after the comments made by Colby Covington at the post conference. He will be looking to finish Colby Covington throughout the early part of this fight and defend his Welterweight title here on Saturday night at UFC 296. He comes into this fight on an 11 fight win streak with his last loss coming all the way back in 2015 and he will look to grab a 12th consecutive victory here on Saturday night at UFC 296. 

Colby Covington has made a name for himself being outlandish and outspoken throughout his mixed martial arts career. After his latest comments made at the pre-fight press conference between him and Leon Edwards many people are wondering if this is the time that Colby Covington has finally bit off more than he can chew. He will come into this fight, looking to pick up a victory over Leon Edwards, and become the new UFC welterweight champion of the world. He will need his best performance inside an octagon to date to get the job done against a very motivated Leon Edwards here on Saturday night. There are many people speculating the legitimacy of this title shot after he lost in his second to last fight, and only picked up a single victory before getting right back into the title picture. He comes into this game with 17 victories in 20 career professional fights but I don’t see him picking up the victory here and this one on Saturday night. As I look for him to eat the words that he said at the press conference, and for Leon Edwards to win this fight by knockout. 

Alexandre Pantoja © vs Brandon Royval – Flyweight Title 

Alexandre Pantoja comes into this fight looking to defend his UFC flyweight title against Brandon Royval here on Saturday night at UFC 296. He is currently ranked 10th in the UFC pound for pound fighter rankings on the men’s side of the rankings, and he will look to move up those rankings with a quality performance in this title fight. He has picked up 26 victories and 31 career professional fights in the majority of his victories have come by submission. He has been consistent across-the-board when it comes to finishes as he has eight career knockouts and 10 career submission finishes with the other eight victories coming by decision. Meanwhile on the other side of the coin, all five of his losses have come by decision as he has never been knocked out or submitted throughout his professional career. That is a statistic he will be looking to keep alive in this championship fight on Saturday. 

Brandon Royval comes into this fight looking to pick up a victory and win the UFC flyweight championship. He comes into this fight with fifteen victories through the first 21 fights of his professional career. He has been a submission specialist throughout his career as eight of his 15 victories have come by decision while five of them have come by knockout. The majority of his six losses have all come by decision, but he has been knocked out once and submitted once throughout his professional mixed martial arts career. He comes into this fight on a three fight winning streak, and he will look for his fourth consecutive victory here on Saturday night as he looks to capture UFC gold. However, I don’t see that happening as I look for Royval to lose this fight against Alexandre Pantoja on Saturday night, and I look for Pantoja to retain his flyweight championship by decision. 

Tony Ferguson vs Paddy Pimblett – Lightweight 

Tony Ferguson may be fighting for his UFC life here on Saturday night against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296. He is on a major losing streak, and that is very unusual of a guy of his quality in another loss. Here in this one could potentially get him cut from the UFC, and it could potentially lead to a retirement from mixed martial arts for him as well. He comes into this fight, looking to turn his fortunes around and reestablish himself as a legitimate contender within the lightweight division, with a solid victory over one of the hottest up-and-coming fighters in the division. He has picked up 25 victories in 34 career professional fights throughout his legendary career and he will look for his 26th victory here on Saturday night at UFC 296. Nearly half of his 25 victories have come by knockout and he will look for his 13th knockout victory of his career here on Saturday night. 

Paddy Pimblett is one of the hottest rising names in the sport, and he will look to take one of the legends of the sport out to pasture with a victory here on Saturday night. A victory for him in this fight against Tony Ferguson could be a launching pad for his career and could potentially start giving him some opportunities against fighters in the top 10 of the lightweight division. A victory in this fighting, convincing fashion could potentially set him up for a future title opportunity. Somewhere down the line in the lightweight division as well. He comes into this fight with 20 victories through 23 career fights and he will look for his 21st victory here on Saturday night at UFC 296 against a legend like Tony Ferguson. 15 of his 20 wins have been from either a knockout or submission finish, and I look for him to go for a finish in this fight against Ferguson on Saturday night and get caught. I look for him to get caught, and I look for Ferguson to break that losing streak with a quality victory by knockout here on Saturday night.

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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.