HOUSTON – When [autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag] was offered Edson Barboza, he could barely contain his excitement as he thought about the potential violence the matchup could bring.
“Oh man, I got goosebumps,” Burgos told reporters Wednesday at UFC 262 media day. “I got my hair standing up. I was like, ‘Yes, this is the one, man.’ When you come off a loss, you don’t know what you’re going to get offered. You don’t know what you’re going to get. But to get offered a name like Edson Barboza off a loss? I feel like this is the biggest fight of my career, honestly.”
Burgos (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and Barboza (21-9 MMA, 15-9 UFC) face off in the second fight of the pay-per-view main card Saturday at Toyota Center. It will be the first time that Burgos has competed since a June 2020 unanimous decision loss to Josh Emmett, which earned “Fight of the Night” honors.
Since that time, a lot has happened. Burgos caught COVID-19 and, as a result, a scheduled fight against Hakeem Dawodu fell through. A few weeks ago, Burgos’ wife gave birth. The past year has been a rollercoaster, but it’s only built Burgos’ anticipation and eagerness to return to the cage with a victory – and do so in style.
“I’ve had some good wins in the UFC, but I need that statement-making win,” Burgos said. “To do that over someone like Edson Barboza, who is a legend in the sport (and) is definitely going to be a Hall of Famer, this is the one. This is the one for me. … It’s one of those fights that if you run it 100 times, it’s going to be exciting every single time. There’s no possible way that this fight could be boring.”
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Burgos, 30, understands that, even if he wins, he’ll likely get hurt. Barboza is known for his highlight-reel knockouts, durability, and willingness to engage. That’s what Burgos signed up for. In some ways, it catalyzes his performance, he said.
“I’ve been seeing his highlight reel since I was in high school,” Burgos said. “For the next couple of days, you know when Edson’s fighting they like playing that spinning hook kick of Terry Etim during fight week. I know I’m going to be seeing that. It’s similar to when I fought Emmett. They just kept replaying Emmett knockouts, and I’m just like, ‘All right, all right. That’s good. That’s OK.’ It’s good because it keeps that little bit of fear – those nerves. And you need those.”
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