Leon Edwards issues chilling warning to Colby Covington in final face-off before UFC 296 headliners meet in huge main event, following American’s grim jibe about his late father

Leon Edwards and Colby Covington had to be kept apart during the ceremonial weigh-ins ahead of UFC 296 – with the Brit still seething over comments about his late father.

Edwards erupted 24 hours earlier when Covington said, “I'm taking you to the seventh layer of hell.” “We'll tell your dad, 'What's going on' while we're there.”

And when Joe Rogan asked onstage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena what he was feeling Friday, on the eve of the fight, Edwards gave a chilling, curt answer.

He said, 'That man will be as good as dead tomorrow. Make sure you keep everything you said about my father.

“We can arrange it tomorrow.”

Covington, meanwhile, flashed a toothy grin through much of the proceedings. He was booed by many in the crowd in apparent response to Thursday's antics.

But he turned some of them into cheers when he said, “Las Vegas, Nevada, are you ready for an American revolution? This fight tomorrow night is for all the men and women in law enforcement.

“All our troops, past and present. And the whole MAGA movement. You can delay us, but you can't deny us.

“Trump is taking back the White House and I'm taking back the undisputed tomorrow night. This one's for America, let's go!'

The fight was overshadowed by Covington's snarky comment, which prompted Edwards to throw a bottle of water at him on Thursday.

Edwards' father was shot and killed in a London nightclub in what his son said was a dispute over money.

Edwards issued a chilling warning ahead of Saturday night's main event

'Rocky' is usually a controlled fighter, but may be unsettled by his opponent

Edwards was raised by his mother and previously remembers hearing the tragic news about his father as a young teenager.

He said: 'It was probably 2am. I was in my room. Mom was in her room. We hear the phone ringing. I heard her crying, and from that moment I knew something was bad, you know.

'Finally she came into my room and told me this: your father has just been murdered in London. It had something to do with money. I don't know exactly what. It was crazy s***, but I knew it could happen.

'It drove me crazy. It pushed me more into gang life and crime, towards the negative. My teenage years were my darkest years,” he said.

'Rocky' is usually a cool guy and one of his great strengths in a fight is his calmness and decision-making.

Whether Covington will have influenced him by getting under his skin remains to be seen, but there is now a new layer of fascination surrounding how the main event will unfold in Las Vegas.

Covington was booed when he responded clearly to his words on Thursday