Edson Barboza
UFC 2010–present · rated in 4 editions · peak overall 84.0
Scouting report
Nova Friburgo, Brazil produced Muay Thai kicks that became a fixture of UFC lightweight competition. At 155 pounds from 2012 to 2018, Edson Barboza opened with a spinning wheel-kick knockout of Terry Etim, the first wheel-kick finish in UFC history, and followed it with a series of leg-kick and body-kick performances against top contenders. The lightweight Barboza carries an 88 Kickboxing as his defining attribute, with an 81 Overall reflecting the period when his cardio still matched his speed.
Peak ratings
By edition
In January 2012 at UFC 142 in Rio, Barboza followed the Etim finish with leg-kick victories over Ross Pearson and Rafaello Oliveira. His Muay Thai kicks, switch kicks, and striking explosiveness are reflected in an 94 Kickboxing and 82 Boxing rating.
In 2014 and 2015, Barboza defeated Evan Dunham, Bobby Green in Austin, and Paul Felder in a striking showcase in Chicago, while dropping stoppage defeats to Donald Cerrone and Michael Johnson. His leg kicks, body strikes, and takedown defense anchor his 94 Kickboxing and 86 Cardio ratings against premier divisional contenders.
Barboza compiled a contender run between 2016 and 2017, out-striking former champion Anthony Pettis at UFC 197, defeating Gilbert Melendez in Chicago, and knocking out Beneil Dariush with a flying knee at UFC Fight Night 106 before dropping a decision to Khabib Nurmagomedov. His kicking speed and power justify his 95 Kickboxing and 84 Boxing ratings.
After dropping decisions to Kevin Lee in Atlantic City and Justin Gaethje in 2018, Barboza rebounded in December 2018 with a body-strike knockout of Dan Hooker at UFC on Fox 31 in Milwaukee, before dropping a split decision to Paul Felder in 2019. His kicking power and toughness are reflected in his 95 Kickboxing and 78 Durability.
Draft Edson Barboza into your build
Edson Barboza enters the pool on any spin landing on lightweight between 2010 and 2019. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are our own, built from independent research and from how Edson Barboza is regarded by the MMA community, with the EA Sports UFC games used only as a starting baseline for the scale. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Edson Barboza's real-world abilities. See the disclaimer below.