Edson Barboza Is Always Down To Scrap

UFC’s Co-Leader In Fight Of The Night Bonuses, Edson Barboza Knows How To Come Out On Top When It Comes To A War

By ZAC PACLEB, ON TWITTER @ZACPACLEB • May. 16, 2024

“All-action fighter” is a term thrown around a little too loosely, but there is “all-action” and then there is Edson Barboza. Since joining the UFC roster in November 2010, the Brazilian kickboxing ace has more than earned a reputation as a walking highlight. From scoring the first wheel kick knockout in UFC history, one that will live on highlight reels forever, to scoring knockouts with each of his hands, elbows, knees and feet, Barboza has done it all to have a claim as UFC’s most dynamic knockout artist ever across two weight classes.

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Beyond that, though, Barboza is a born-and-bred warrior. Often, when Barboza is asked about his feelings ahead of a fight, the words “happy” and “ready for war” are the first out of his mouth, and he always backs that claim up. As he prepares for a headlining bout opposite the unbeaten Lerone Murphy on May 18, Barboza boasts nine Fight of the Night bonuses, tied for the most all-time with Dustin Poirier.

Of those nine, Barboza got his hand raised is seven, including most recently against Sodiq Yusuff in an epic come-from-behind effort.

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Few fighters combine technical brilliance and a brawler’s mentality the way Barboza has over the last decade-and-a-half, and before he steps into the Octagon for his fifth career main event, we are taking a look at his incredible track record in back-and-forth affairs.

vs Terry Etim

Edson Barboza vs Terry Etim | Full Fight

If you are a fight fan, you’ve seen this knockout. There isn’t much else to say other than it is undoubtedly on the Mount Rushmore of the most stunning knockouts in UFC history. Skill-for-skill, theatrics, technique, timing and even Joe Rogan’s well-timed utterance of “get knocked out” all combine for the special brew that is Barboza’s knockout of Terry Etim. But of course, none of the surrounding factors bests Barboza’s actual spinning effort and eerily cool celebration.

vs Danny Castillo

Edson Barbosa vs Danny Castillo | Full Fight

In an example of Barboza’s great spirit, his comeback majority decision win over Danny Castillo showed how he is not just someone who looks good when he is ahead of his opponent. Castillo did well to rock Barboza before taking him down and threatening him for the better part of the first round, but in the following two frames, Barboza battled and battered his foe to get the nod on the scorecards.

vs Paul Felder

Edson Barboza vs Paul Felder | Full Fight

Facing the then-undefeated Felder on short notice when “The Irish Dragon” replaced Myles Jury, Barboza and Felder put on a display of beautiful violence over the course of three rounds. Barboza got out ahead early in the first round although the young Felder was active, and he pushed back well in the second round. However, the veteran Barboza went to efficient and effective work in the third to get the decision in a fight that would be run back years later.

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vs Beneil Dariush

Edson Barboza vs Beneil Dariush | Full Fight

There is takedown defense—a skill of which Barboza is proficient— and then there’s launching a perfectly timed flying knee, which is what Barboza did when Dariush dove for a takedown in the second round of their bout. When Barboza reflects on the bout, he mentions he and his team had studied Dariush’s tendency to dip into a shot after throwing a straight punch, and he timed the counter to eye-popping perfection.

vs Shane Burgos

Edson Barboza vs Shane Burgos | Full Fight

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When Barboza elected to move down to featherweight in 2020, questions about how much he had left in the tank were already buzzing about. He had lost four of his last five at 155 pounds, and moving down 10 pounds at 34 years old seemed like a tall task. He made the weight fine and lost a razor-close split decision to Dan Ige in his divisional debut before snapping his losing streak against Makwan Amirkhani, but his bout with Shane Burgos at UFC 262 was the one people looked at as whether he still could compete at the top level. Against the pressure-heavy and tough Burgos, Barboza showed every bit of his veteran know-how until the third round when he placed a perfect right hand on Burgos, who quite literally took a moment to realize what hit him.

vs Sodiq Yusuff

Edson Barboza of Brazil celebrates after his victory against Sodiq Yusuff of Nigeria in a featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 14, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

The narrative going into Barboza’s bout with Yusuff was that the bout was a spotlight opportunity for Yusuff, the Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus who was long touted as a potential contender in the making. However, Barboza spoiled that party after weathering a hellish flurry from Yusuff in the first round. The bout that developed over the next 20 minutes was one of the best in 2023 and yet another on the epic resume of Barboza.