5 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN 8: Walt Harris’ heartbreak reminds us how cruel MMA can be

MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn covers the fallout of UFC on ESPN 8, where Alistair Overeem, Claudia Gadelha and Dan Ige earned notable wins.

4. Edson Barboza’s frustration

Of all the fighters who were the victim of a poor decision, [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] probably got the worst of it, largely because of how significant a setback it is for him in his featherweight debut.

By no means was it a blowout for Barboza. His opponent, Dan Ige, was in his face and game for all three rounds, but close fights can still have clear winners, and it seemed Barboza’s work in the first couple rounds were the difference maker.

The judges didn’t agree, though, and now the Brazilian falls to 1-4 in his past five fights. Beating Ige would’ve put him on the right track to get a big fight in his new division, but now Barboza will have to work his way back up. At 34, that’s no easy climb, and that has to be deeply frustrating.

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