Gilbert Burns still thinks Leon Edwards defeats Colby Covington at UFC 296: “I think he’s going to get it done”
Gilbert Burns remains firm in his prediction that Leon Edwards will defeat Colby Covington at UFC 296.
Covington will challenge Edwards for the UFC Welterweight Championship on December 16. It’ll be the UFC’s final event of 2023, and a live feed will air on ESPN+ PPV in the United States. Also featured on the card will be a flyweight title fight between champion Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval.
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson, Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett, and Vicente Luque vs. Ian Machado Garry are also set for the UFC 296 pay-per-view card.
Gilbert Burns Explains Why He’s Still Picking Leon Edwards to Defeat Colby Covington
Gilbert Burns has long told reporters that he feels Leon Edwards will be too much for Colby Covington to handle. His opinion hasn’t changed over the past few months. He recently doubled down and explained why he thinks “Rocky” will be bad news for “Chaos.”
“I think it’s a good matchup for Leon to be honest because, well, Kamaru Usman had a lot of success against Colby when he was southpaw,” Burns told MMA Junkie in an interview set up by Stake.com. “For sure, they’re both wrestlers. It kind of changes a little bit, but Leon is very long. His reach is very big. It’s going to be easy for him to stuff the takedowns and defend and keep the fight on the feet.
“Durinho” went on to say that he believes Edwards is a more dangerous striker than Kamaru Usman was, and he feels Covington will be surprised by “Rocky’s” fast hands. He also praised Edwards for his precision and power.
“He’s got a lot of pop on the kicks, and a lot of pops on the hands too,” Burns added. “So, I do think Leon is going to win. It’s not going to be easy but, I think he’s going to get it done.”
