Tag: Edson Barboza

Edson Barboza embracing chance for main event ‘war’ with Sodiq Yusuff at UFC Fight Night 230

Edson Barboza is gunning for a UFC record ninth Fight of the Night in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 230 main event vs. Sodiq Yusuff.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] is fully embracing the expectations around his UFC Fight Night 230 main event with Sodiq Yusuff.

With 28 octagon appearances to his name, Barboza (23-11 MMA, 17-11 UFC) has formed a reputation as one of the consistently great action fighters in the game. He gets a complimentary style match in Saturday’s featherweight headliner against Yusuff (13-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC), which takes place at the UFC Apex and streams on ESPN+.

Barboza has racked up a UFC-record-tying eight Fight of the Night bonuses during his career, and if Yusuff can take the heat, he’ll be prepared to add another one to the resume.

“He’s a great fighter – definitely one of the best in the world,” Barboza told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 230 media day. “He’s No. 11 (in the UFC rankings), in front of me in the rankings. It’s going to be a war like always. Everybody know every time I step into the octagon I give a good fight, and this Saturday is not going to be different. It’s going to be a war.”

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At 37, Barboza is seemingly much closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He said he feels happy and healthy, though, and argues his physical condition is the best it has been due to increased focus on diet.

The Brazilian said he feels sharp, and although the matchup looks like striker vs. striker on paper, he said he’ll be prepared for any strategic approach Yusuff brings to the table.

“It’s an MMA fight,” Barboza said. “I need to be ready wherever this fight go. I am ready. It’s an MMA fight. But everybody knows my style, they know the game plan is always the same. Keep it on the feet and try to stop him, try to finish the fight as soon as possible. But wherever this fight goes, I’ll be ready.”

“I see the fight at the end with me with the win. I don’t know if it’s going to be a decision or a knockout or submission. But I know if I go there and give my best, I’m going to win this fight.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 230.

Video: ‘UFC Fight Night 230: Yusuff vs. Barboza’ media day interviews

Before UFC Fight Night 230 on Saturday, watch as the main card athletes fighters speak to reporters at media day.

LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 230, which takes place at the UFC Apex with a card that streams entirely on ESPN+, goes down Saturday.

Before fight night arrives, though, notable athletes from the main card spoke to reporters Wednesday at media day.

If you happen to miss any of the individual sessions on the live stream, check below for the archived videos of each media day.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 230.

UFC Fight Night 230 pre-event facts: Edson Barboza’s dazzling KO credentials

The best facts and figures about UFC Fight Night 230, which features one of the greatest knockout artists of all time in the main event.

The UFC’s loaded October schedule continues on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 230, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

Ranked featherweights collide in the main event, and there’s major potential for a violent ending. [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) will look to add a signature win to his resume when he takes on octagon legend [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] (23-11 MMA, 17-11 UFC) in a showdown scheduled for five rounds.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC Fight Night 230.

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (July 24-30)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by a promotion from July 24-30.

Edson Barboza vs. Sodiq Yusuff in the works for UFC Fight Night on Oct. 14

A matchup between UFC featherweights Edson Barboza and Sodiq Yusuff is in the works for October.

A matchup between UFC featherweights [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] and [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag] is in the works for October.

Barboza (23-11 MMA, 17-11 UFC) and Yusuff (13-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) have agreed to meet at UFC Fight Night on Oct. 14, multiple people with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MMA Junkie. The people requested anonymity because the promotion hasn’t made an official announcement.

The event is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Broadcast plans have not been revealed.

Barboza, 37, will look to string together back-to-back wins after scoring a brutal knockout of Billy Quarantillo at UFC on ESPN 44 in April. The longtime lightweight contender dropped to featherweight in May 2020, and has since gone 3-3 in the weight class.

The Brazilian will look to bring his divisional record above .500 when he takes on Yusuff, 30, who is an honorable mention in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings. Yusuff has just one blemish on his octagon record through seven appearances, and that came against No. 8-ranked Arnold Allen in April 2021.

The latest lineup for UFC Fight Night on Oct. 14 now includes:

  • Irina Alekseeva vs. Melissa Dixon
  • Emily Ducote vs. Ashley Yoder
  • Edson Barboza vs. Sodiq Yusuff

Edson Barboza’s UFC knockouts, ranked

Edson Barboza has produced some incredible highlight-reel moments in his UFC career, including maybe the greatest knockout of all time.

Between the UFC’s breakneck schedule and the recent trend regarding the recruitment of young fighters to its roster, it can be shockingly easy to forget about the promotion’s veterans who continue to contribute so much.

[autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag], for example, is one of many Brazilian war horses whose careers have quietly defied logic.

Staying afloat in the UFC is difficult enough, but doing so for as long as he has in the sport’s deepest divisions is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted. And though many fighters begin to drop off at this point in their careers, Barboza has continued to produce highlight-reel moments against young lions looking to take his spot.

This post pays homage to a Brazilian who – like Marco Ruas and Anderson Silva before him – forever influenced the striking that we see in today’s world of MMA.

Without further ado, here are Edson’s Barboza’s UFC knockouts, ranked.

MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month for April: Israel Adesanya exacts revenge on Alex Pereira

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from April 2023.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from April 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month award for April.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

UFC on ESPN 44 medical suspensions: Three fighters get 60 days after KO losses

The Missouri commission issued medical suspensions after UFC on ESPN 44, the longest of which went to fighters who were knocked out.

Three fighters face 60-day medical suspensions as a result of stoppage losses by strikes at UFC on ESPN 44.

The event took place this past Saturday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. The event was overseen by the Missouri Division of Professional Regulation, which suspended 13 of 28 fighters from the card for medical reasons after their bouts, according to a list published Wednesday by the commission.

It’s important to note fighters can return sooner than the expiration date of their medical suspension should they receive proper medical clearance from a doctor. In addition, the commission does not list reasons for medical suspensions – just durations.

Scroll below to see the full list of UFC on ESPN 44 medical suspensions.

Edson Barboza wants opponent ranked above him after knocking out Billy Quarantillo at UFC on ESPN 44

Edson Barboza wants a chance to rise in the UFC featherweight rankings after his big win at UFC on ESPN 44.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] is still determined to climb up the UFC featherweight ranks.

Following his spectacular first-round knockout of Billy Quarantillo at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 44, Barboza (23-11 MMA, 17-11 UFC) is looking to get a named opponent, specifically someone ranked above him. The Brazilian doesn’t care who it is. All that matters is that he’s making his way up the division.

“I’ll fight anybody anywhere,” Barboza told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 44 post-fight news conference. “I say yes for everybody. Especially if you want to fight me, I want to fight you. Like I said, I fight anybody anywhere. I hope the UFC gives me a chance to fight somebody in the rankings. Anybody in front of me in the rankings, I’m ready.”

Barboza entered Saturday’s UFC event with back-to-back losses to Bryce Mitchell and Giga Chikadze. Not only was the featherweight veteran able to get back in the win column, but he did so in brutal fashion.

Barboza needed less than a round to put the lights out on Quarantillo (17-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) with a knee to the chin. Barboza feels relieved to be back to his winning ways.

“I’m very happy. It was a long year for me.” Batrboza said. “It was super hard. But yeah, I came back on the right time and with a beautiful knockout. I’m very happy.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 44.

5 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN 44: Max Holloway’s perfect navigation of title purgatory

Thoughts and analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC on ESPN 44, including Max Holloway’s title hopes and much more.

What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 44 in Kansas City, Mo.? Here are a few post-fight musings …