One of the most exciting fighters in the UFC over the last decade has been Edson Barboza (21-9). Barboza made his debut with the promotion back in 2010 and has had some highlight moments throughout his career.
When Barboza first came on to the UFC scene, he looked like a fighter that was destined to be a champion. However, while he’s always been considered a top contender, he never was able to make that jump to the championship level.
He’s had some opportunities in title eliminator matchups, but he was never able to get the job done. In 2020, Barboza decided to switch things up for the benefit of his career. He decided to drop from the UFC‘s lightweight division to featherweight.
He made his debut in May against Dan Ige and lost a very close split decision. Barboza then got a shot at Makwan Amirkhani in October on Fight Island and picked up the unanimous decision. Since then, Barboza hasn’t heard anything from the UFC.
Frustration with the UFC
The only reason Barboza has been in the news lately has been his movie that came out, Born a Champion. Barboza recently had an interview with MMA Junkie where he opened up about his frustrations with the lack of offers from the UFC.
“If the UFC gives me the opportunity real soon to fight the last fight (of my contract), I’m ready. If you’re gonna renew the contract, let’s what happens. Or, just let me go, that’s it. I have three options right now, but let’s see what happens,” Barboza said.
It’s clear that Barboza is wanting to get back inside the octagon. He’s currently ranked fifteenth in the featherweight division and he’s still someone with some good name recognition. However, there is no word on if the UFC is even close to offering Barboza a fight.
Considering all that’s happened, it wouldn’t shock me to see Barboza test out the free agent market after this next fight. Perhaps he could pull an Anthony Pettis and move to PFL or he could be just the latest guy to go from the UFC to Bellator. He would definitely be sought after should he hit the market.