UFC 296 was an eventful last PPV of the year where we saw some of the craziest matches. The main event took all the spotlight as UFC champion Leon Edwards successfully retained his welterweight title against Colby Covington. Despite all the pre-fight talk and banter, after five rounds ‘Chaos’ didn’t manage to put on a dominant fight. And while Edwards has defeated ‘Chaos,’ fans are curious to know how much money he earned from this victory. Let’s find out.
According to MMA Salaries reports, the estimated pay-per-view revenue for the welterweight championship bout suggests that Edwards could make over $1,642,000 from this fight. With a base salary of $1 million, estimated PPV earnings $600,000, and $42,000 in sponsorship money.
And now Edwards, having won the fight, will also receive a win bonus, adding to his overall earnings tally. There are also reports which suggest that he might earn $5 Million. It’s safe to say that Edwards will earn nearly close to $2 million, a substantial amount. On the other hand, Covington, who lost the fight, is likely to earn $782,000.
The above mentioned figures are based on reports as the purse and salary details are something that the company often keeps confidential. With the win, Edwards has will now look forward for a bigger challenge in his next fight.
What Next For Leon Edwards After Defeating Colby Covington at UFC 296?
Edwards has been on a dominant run, staying undefeated since 2015, with his last defeat against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. As the current champion, Edwards has outperformed Usman twice and also defeated Covington. It appears that his next challenge will be against Belal Muhammad, who has been patiently waiting for his title shot for a long time.
Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that Islam Makhachev has expressed his desire to become a two-division champion and mentioned his interest in moving to the welterweight division. Indeed, both matches are stellar, with Muhammad’s dominance evident in defeating everyone in his path.
As for Makhachev, his match is set to attract attention from all corners, as this achievement is something even his coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov, didn’t accomplish in winning titles in two divisions. In short, Edwards’ future seems to involve potential matches with either Muhammad or Makhachev.
Apart from Belal Muhammad, the division will also get to see new challengers in future. At UFC 296, Shavkat Rakhmonov emerged as a new threat to the welterweight title. He defeated Stephen Thompson to rise one step up the ladder. With one more win over a top ranked contender he can challenge Edwards for the title.
With that said, the division is now getting stacked with contenders and fans are likely to get good matches from the division in future.
