Is there a UFC fight this weekend: Is there a UFC fight this weekend (December 16, 2023)? All you should know about the event

Just two weeks until the end of 2023, the UFC will be ending its 30th anniversary year with one final major pay-per-view event.

The UFC will close out the year with UFC 296 on Dec. 16, the final event before a brief four-week-long break during the holiday season. UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards and former interim champion Colby Covington will headline the event.

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The co-main event will also contain a title fight, as UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja will attempt to claim his first title defense against no. 2 contender Brandon Royval. During their first meet in 2021, the Brazilian submitted 'Raw Dog' through a rear-naked choke. The 31-year-old then strung together an impressive three-fight win streak, leading to an intriguing rematch.

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Though the card is full of interesting and high stakes from bottom to top, it has lost some significant firepower during fight week. Ian Machado Garry became the topic of conversation, much like the lead-up to the fight. The Irish was forced to withdraw from his main card bout with Vicente Luque due to pneumonia.

The first fight of the night will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 p.m. GMT with the pay-per-view main card beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 3 a.m. GMT.

Who is fighting on the UFC 296 main card?

Below the two title fights on UFC 296, the three remaining main card fights all hold significant title or career implications.

With the loss of Ian Machado Garry vs. Vicente Luque, the initially scheduled prelim between Josh Emmett and Bryce Mitchell will open the main card. 'Thug Nasty' is taking the fight as a short-notice replacement for Giga Chikadze, having just picked up a decision victory over Dan Ige in September.

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Following up on the featherweight bout, fan-favorite, former lightweight interim champion Tony Ferguson will look to end his six-fight losing streak against British star Paddy Pimblett. 'El Cucuy' also captured headlines in the months leading up to UFC 296 for his decision to complete 'Hell Week' with David Goggins. The Scouser, on the other hand, has not fought since controversially winning a decision over Jared Gordon over one year ago.

The last fight before the championship bouts features divisional mainstay Stephen Thompson and the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov. 'The Nomad' is the biggest favorite of the card with a 17-0 record, having finished all 17 opponents. Many suggest that the winner of this fight could be in line for the next title shot, despite Belal Muhammad weighing in as the main event backup.

About the author

Jaren covers MMA and boxing for Sportskeeda. He has a total experience of over a year and also writes for FanSided MMA and BetSided.

Jaren is a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Media with high distinction from Butler University in 2023 and chose a field that interests him the most to begin his professional journey. He has over four years of experience practicing boxing and kickboxing and is also a two-stripe Brazilian jiu-jitsu white belt.

His all-time top-five list of MMA fighters includes Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, and Amanda Nunes.

Jaren's first memory of becoming a fan of the sport dates back to the UFC 195 event in January 2016, which was headlined by the Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit title fight. While compiling pieces, he focuses on quality and fact-checking by going through multiple credible sources, such as UFC, Sherdog, and ESPN.

His other interests include training in jiu-jitsu and kickboxing, and watching basketball and American football.

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Edited by Himakshu Vyas