Edson Barboza

Mixed martial arts career Background Barboza comes from Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro. He was born prematurely at 28 weeks and given a 50/50 chance of surviving past infancy. At the age of 8, he began practicing and competing in Muay Thai.

Barboza's first title defense was originally scheduled for Ring of Combat 31, against Mikhail Malyutin, but, due to his signing with the UFC, he was replaced by Luiz Azeredo.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2010 Barboza was expected to make his UFC debut against Darren Elkins on November 20, 2010, at UFC 123. However, Elkins was forced from the card with an injury and replaced by newcomer Mike Lullo. Shortly into the third round, Barboza defeated Lullo by TKO due to leg kicks (for the first time in UFC history).

2011 Barboza faced Anthony Njokuani on March 19, 2011, at UFC 128, winning by unanimous decision. Both fighters earned Fight of the Night honors.

Barboza defeated Ross Pearson at UFC 134 via split decision. Both fighters earned Fight of the Night bonus honors.

2012 Barboza faced Terry Etim on January 14, 2012, at UFC 142. He defeated Etim by KO in the third round, becoming the first fighter in UFC history to finish an opponent via wheel kick. The win earned Barboza his first Knockout of the Night and Fight of the Night bonus awards

Barboza was expected to face Evan Dunham on May 26, 2012, at UFC 146, but Dunham dropped out of the bout due to injury and was replaced by returning veteran Jamie Varner. Barboza suffered his first professional MMA loss via Knockout in the first round.

2013 Barboza was expected to face Justin Salas on January 19, 2013, at UFC on FX 7. However, Salas was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by promotional newcomer Lucas Martins. Barboza defeated Martins via TKO at 2:38 of the first round.

Barboza was scheduled to face John Makdessi on July 6, 2013, at UFC 162, but an injury forced Makdessi off the card and he was replaced by Rafaello Oliveira. Barboza won the fight by TKO due to leg kicks in the second round.

Barboza faced Danny Castillo on December 14, 2013, at UFC on Fox 9. After a dominant first round by Castillo, in which he nearly finished Barboza via strikes and then with a submission attempt, Barboza rallied back and won by majority decision. Both fighters earned Fight of the Night honors.

2014 Barboza faced Donald Cerrone on April 19, 2014, at UFC on Fox 11. Despite finding early success with his striking, Barboza was knocked down by a jab and lost via submission at 3:15 of the first round.

Barboza faced Evan Dunham on July 16, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 45. He won the fight via TKO in the first round.

Barboza faced Bobby Green on November 22, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 57. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

2015 Barboza faced Michael Johnson on February 22, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 61. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Barboza was expected to face Myles Jury on July 25, 2015, at UFC on Fox 16, replacing an injured Anthony Pettis. However, Jury himself had to pull out due to injury and was subsequently replaced by undefeated Paul Felder. Barboza won the fight via unanimous decision and earned his fifth Fight of the Night bonus award. UFC President Dana White gave Barboza and Felder high praise afterwards, calling the fight "incredible."

Barboza faced Tony Ferguson on December 11, 2015, at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale, replacing an injured Khabib Nurmagomedov. After a back-and-forth first round that saw Ferguson docked one point due to an illegal upkick, Barboza lost the fight via submission in the second round. Both fighters earned Fight of the Night honors.

2016 After the loss to Ferguson, Barboza decided to move to New Jersey to train at Mark Henry's and Ricardo Almeida's MMA team. Barboza faced Anthony Pettis on April 23, 2016, at UFC 197. He won via unanimous decision.

Barboza faced Gilbert Melendez on July 23, 2016, at UFC on Fox 20. He won via unanimous decision.

2017 Barboza faced Beneil Dariush on March 11, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 106. He won the fight via knockout due to a flying knee in the second round. Subsequently, he earned his first Performance of the Night bonus award.

Barboza faced Khabib Nurmagomedov on December 30, 2017, at UFC 219. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

2018 Barboza faced Kevin Lee on April 21, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 128. At the weigh-ins, Lee weighed 157 pounds, one pound over the lightweight non-title fight upper limit of 156 pounds. Subsequently, the bout proceeded at catchweight, and Lee forfeited 20% of his purse to Barboza. Barboza managed to connect with a spinning back kick and hurt Lee, but went onto lose via TKO due to doctor stoppage in round five.

After losing two consecutive fights, Barboza decided to return to Florida and American Top Team.

Barboza faced Dan Hooker on December 15, 2018, at UFC on Fox 31. He won the fight via TKO in round three.

2019 Barboza faced Justin Gaethje on March 30, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 2. He lost the fight via knockout in round one. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.

Barboza faced Paul Felder in a rematch on September 7, 2019, at UFC 242. He lost the fight by a controversial split decision. 13 out of 16 MMA media outlets scored the bout in favor of Barboza, and subsequently the decision was appealed to be overturned. UFC, working in lieu of an athletic commission, denied the appeal.

2020

On December 31, 2019, Barboza announced his intent to move down to the featherweight division. He was expected to face Josh Emmett in a featherweight bout on May 2, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Weidman. However, on April 9, Dana White announced that the event had been postponed. Instead Barboza faced Dan Ige on May 16, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris. He lost the bout by another controversial split decision. 16 out of 18 MMA media outlets scored the bout in favor of Barboza.

Barboza was expected to face Sodiq Yusuff on October 11, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 179. However, Yusuff pulled out of the fight on September 22 for undisclosed reasons, and was replaced by Makwan Amirkhani. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

2021 On February 25, 2021 news surfaced that Barboza had signed a new multi-fight contract with the organization albeit having one fight left on his prevailing contract. In May, Barboza revealed that the contract was signed for six fights.

Barboza faced Shane Burgos on May 15, 2021, at UFC 262. He won the fight via knockout in the third round after Burgos experienced a delayed reaction to being knocked out with a right cross. This fight earned Barboza the $75,000 Fight of the Night bonus award.

Barboza faced Giga Chikadze on August 28, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 30. After a back-and-forth affair, Barboza lost the fight via TKO in round three.

2022 Barboza faced Bryce Mitchell on March 5, 2022, at UFC 272. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Barboza was scheduled to face Ilia Topuria on October 29, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 213. However, Barboza withdrew in late September due to a knee injury

2023 Barboza faced Billy Quarantillo on April 15, 2023, at UFC on ESPN 44. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. This win earned him his second Performance of the Night award.

Barboza faced Sodiq Yusuff on October 14, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 230. After nearly being finished with punches in the first round, Barboza rallied and won the fight by unanimous decision. This performance earned him his ninth Fight of the Night award.

2024 Barboza faced Lerone Murphy on May 18, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 241. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. This performance earned him his tenth Fight of the Night award.

2025 Barboza was scheduled to face Steve Garcia on February 22, 2025, at UFC Fight Night 252. However, Barboza withdrew from the fight due to an injury and the fight was scrapped.

Barboza faced Drakkar Klose in a lightweight bout on August 16, 2025 at UFC 319. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Barboza faced Jalin Turner on December 6, 2025 at UFC 323. He lost the fight by technical knockout in the first round.

2026 Barboza faced Esteban Ribovics on August 15, 2026 at UFC 330. He lost the fight by technical knockout in the second round and announced his retirement from MMA in his post-fight interview.

Submission grappling career Barboza stepped in on short notice to face Sharabutdin Magomedov in a submission-only grappling match at Hype Fighting: Brazil on March 11, 2026.

Fighting style Described as a "dyed-in-the-wool striker," Barboza is known for his dangerous kicking game. UFC color commentator Joe Rogan has stated that Barboza is "probably the best kicker in MMA." He scored the first wheel kick knockout in UFC history, and is one of three fighters to finish multiple UFC bouts via leg kicks (the other two being Antoni Hardonk and Jonathan Martinez). Barboza is also known for his effective use of switch kicks, which have been labeled "exceptionally quick" and "ferocious". He has lived and trained in the United States for several years, primarily in New Jersey. He became an American citizen in 2022.

Championships and accomplishments

Kickboxing 2007 Demolition Fight Grand Prix Winner

Mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship Fight of the Night (Ten times) Performance of the Night (Two times) Fourth most knockdowns in UFC history (16) Tied (Drew Dober & Justin Gaethje) for fifth most knockdowns in UFC Lightweight division history (10) 2023: Fan's Choice Comeback of the Year Winner UFC.com Awards 2011: Ranked #10 Fight of the Year 2012: Knockout of the Year vs. Terry Etim 2015: Ranked #3 Fight of the Year & Ranked #8 Fight of the Year 2017: Ranked #3 Knockout of the Year 2019: Ranked #7 Fight of the Year 2021: Ranked #6 Fight of the Year 2023: Ranked #8 Knockout of the Year vs. Billy Quarantillo & Ranked #8 Fight of the Year vs. Sodiq Yusuff Renaissance MMA Renaissance MMA Lightweight Championship (One time) Two successful title defenses Ring of Combat Ring of Combat Lightweight Championship (One time) ESPY Award Best Play ESPY Award – Nomination (2012) World MMA Awards 2012 Knockout of the Year vs. Terry Etim at UFC 142 New York Post 2023 Rally of the Year Inside MMA Bazzie Award for KO Kick of the Year (2012) vs. Terry Etim Sherdog 2010 All-Violence Third Team 2012 Knockout of the Year vs. Terry Etim 2017 Knockout of the Year vs. Beneil Dariush 2018 Beatdown of the Year vs. Dan Hooker MMA Junkie 2015 #5 Ranked Fight of the Year 2015 December Fight of the Month vs. Tony Ferguson 2019 September Fight of the Month vs. Paul Felder MMA Fighting 2023 Third Team MMA All-Star Bloody Elbow 2012 Knockout of the Year FIGHT! Magazine 2012 Knockout of the Year

Mixed martial arts record Loss

Esteban Ribovics TKO (punches) UFC 330

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Loss

Jalin Turner TKO (punches) UFC 323

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Drakkar Klose Decision (unanimous) UFC 319

Chicago, Illinois, United States Loss

Lerone Murphy Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Murphy

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Sodiq Yusuff Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Yusuff vs. Barboza

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Billy Quarantillo KO (knee) UFC on ESPN: Holloway vs. Allen

Kansas City, Missouri, United States Loss

Bryce Mitchell Decision (unanimous) UFC 272

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Giga Chikadze TKO (punches) UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Chikadze

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Shane Burgos KO (punches) UFC 262

Houston, Texas, United States Win

Makwan Amirkhani Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Loss

Dan Ige Decision (split) UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris

Jacksonville, Florida, United States Loss

Paul Felder Decision (split) UFC 242

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Loss

Justin Gaethje KO (punch) UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Win

Dan Hooker KO (punch to the body) UFC on Fox: Lee vs. Iaquinta 2

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States Loss

Kevin Lee TKO (doctor stoppage) UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Lee

Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Loss

Khabib Nurmagomedov Decision (unanimous) UFC 219

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Beneil Dariush KO (flying knee) UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum

Fortaleza, Brazil Win

Gilbert Melendez Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko

Chicago, Illinois, United States Win

Anthony Pettis Decision (unanimous) UFC 197

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Tony Ferguson Submission (brabo choke) The Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber Finale

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Paul Felder Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Dillashaw vs. Barão 2

Chicago, Illinois, United States Loss

Michael Johnson Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir

Porto Alegre, Brazil Win

Bobby Green Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Swanson

Austin, Texas, United States Win

Evan Dunham TKO (kick to the body and punches) UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Miller

Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Loss

Donald Cerrone Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC on Fox: Werdum vs. Browne

Orlando, Florida, United States Win

Danny Castillo Decision (majority) UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Benavidez 2

Sacramento, California, United States Win

Rafaello Oliveira TKO (leg kicks) UFC 162

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Lucas Martins TKO (punches) UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping

São Paulo, Brazil Loss

Jamie Varner TKO (punches) UFC 146

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Terry Etim KO (spinning wheel kick) UFC 142

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Win

Ross Pearson Decision (split) UFC 134

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Win

Anthony Njokuani Decision (unanimous) UFC 128

Newark, New Jersey, United States Win

Mike Lullo TKO (leg kicks) UFC 123

Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States Win

Marcelo Guidici TKO (leg kicks) Ring of Combat 30

Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Win

Jose Figueroa KO (punch) Renaissance MMA 16

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States Win

Nabih Barakat KO (punches) Ring of Combat 28

Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Win

Lee King Submission (anaconda choke) Renaissance MMA 15

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States Win

Lee King KO (punches) Renaissance MMA 12

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States Win

Aaron Steadman TKO (punches) Real FC 17: Street Kings

Tampa, Florida, United States

Muay Thai & Kickboxing record