Goodbye, Edson Barboza. Often referred to as "Junior," Barboza laid down his gloves as a 40-year-old man with nearly as many professional fights. His finale was bittersweet, but he held his head high in defeat at UFC 330.
The significance of the moment was never lost on Barboza, who had expressed his desire to retire after Saturday's fight in Philadelphia. Walking to the Octagon, Barboza spotted his children in the front row and ran over to embrace them. He fought off tears as he continued his march towards Esteban Ribovics.
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MMA is rarely kind to its legends, and this fight was no different. Ribovics' intensity tempered hopes for one last vintage Barboza knockout. Ribovics, 10 years younger than the Brazilian veteran he admired, immediately went to work with combination punches. Barboza initially did well to strike back, but his body didn't wear the damage well. His face was bleeding, his eye nearly swollen shut, and his knee had a major gash on it by the time round one concluded. It was likely a 10-8 round for Ribovics, and Barboza's corner could've probably thrown in the towel.
Barboza answered the call for Round 2, but the damage was already done. Ribovics got right back to work, rocking Barboza with heavy strikes until referee Herb Dean mercifully waved it off.
Esteban Ribovics stops Edson Barboza in RD 2!
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"I just want to say thank you. I did my best in every single fight; I promise," Barboza said, fighting through tears, during his post-fight interview. "I'm so thankful. I hope you all enjoyed it."
His 2012 knockout of Terry Etim is the main event of any highlight reel. It's arguably the greatest KO in MMA history. Barboza rotated with blinding speed, landing a flush spinning wheel kick. Etim was stiff as a board before crashing to the canvas.
Barboza's kicking game was rivaled only by his heart. He ended his career with the second-most Fight of the Night bonuses in UFC history and the fourth-most knockdowns in any weight class.
His feared striking kept him in the lightweight elite for most of his career, before a multi-year relocation to featherweight. He tangled with legendary names during his time as a lightweight contender. Among them are former UFC champions Khabib Nurmagomedov and Anthony Pettis, reigning champion Justin Gaethje, and former interim champion Tony Ferguson.
