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The UFC 296 main event featured Leon Edwards and Colby Covington in a grudge match for the welterweight title. Edwards dominated the fight and even controlled his emotions inside the Octagon after Covington made fun of his father’s death at the press conference two days prior. However, some, including Joe Rogan, were not too happy with the Englishman’s performance. UFC veteran Daniel Cormier recently appeared in the ESPN MMA podcast to analyze the fight and answered some of the questions about the champion’s outing. 

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“Rocky” was criticized by Joe Rogan after the fight for his decision-making. However, Cormier, in his recent podcast, felt Edwards had the perfect fight. Let us find out what the former champion had to say about the fight. 

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Daniel Cormier feels Leon Edwards had a perfect fight at UFC 296

Cormier, the former two-division champion, has worked with Edwards from close quarters and has even trained with ” Rocky.” In the video, Cormier broke down the fight and gave an analysis of the entire match. Many believed that “Chaos” would prove to be a much more formidable opponent for Edwards, but the Jamaican showed his class and dominated the whole fight. 

The welterweight champion also used his grappling skills against “Chaos,” which shocked both the fans and the commentators. While Joe Rogan criticized his style of fighting, Cormier, in the YouTube video, said: “It was boring because it played exactly to the way Leon Edwards prefers a fight to be. He is a guy that is so clean that if he can pick up apart, he’s going to pick you apart.”

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He continued, “You don’t win 11 fights in a row by taking just unnecessary risks and when you’re as talented as Leon Edwards is, and you can control people the way he can. Why wouldn’t you do that? He’s been there and he is doing his thing and there’s no reason for Rocky to take any unnecessary chances. I thought he fought a wonderful fight.”

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Cormier mentioned how effectively ” Rocky” controlled the fight and did not let Covington settle in the fight. Edwards won the Welterweight title after beating Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 with a head kick. With Edwards successfully defending his title against Covington at UFC 296, it will be interesting to see who gets a title shot next.

Watch this story: Jorge Masvidal And Chael Sonnen Go Back And Forth 

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Who will Leon Edwards face next for his title defense? 

The biggest question among the fans is who the champion will face next for his title defense. One of the rising superstars in the welterweight division is Shavkat Rakhmonov. The Kazak fighter met Stephen Thompson at UFC 296 and won the fight via submission in round two. The 29-year-old is unbeaten in the division and will look to claim the welterweight title soon. 

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However, there has been no official announcement of Edwards’ next opponent yet. It will be interesting to see whom he faces next. Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev also recently showed interest in moving to the welterweight division to win a second title. Will Edwards face Makhachev next? Or will Rakhmonov get a title shot next? Let us know in the comments below.

Read More: Colby Covington, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz: Top 5 Fighters Dustin Poirier Could Matchup With at UFC 300 as Per Fans

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Anirban Chatterjee

1,746 Articles

Anirban Chatterjee is a senior reporter at EssentiallySports and a core member of the NFL NewsCenter team. With an MBA in Sports Management and two years covering the UFC beat at ES, he blends newsroom precision with a deep understanding of game dynamics. At ES, he covers high-stakes games, breaking news, and viral moments—delivering fast, informed reporting with a modern perspective that speaks to both hardcore fans and casual readers alike.

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Yeswanth Praveen

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