Edson Barboza is currently ranked ##5 in the UFC Lightweight Division, but despite being a top five fighter in one of the UFC’s most stacked division, Barboza is claiming that nobody in the UFC actually wants to fight him.
“You know, I was sitting here thinking about when my next fight might be – and against who – when it dawned on me, no one ever challenges me,” Barboza told MMA Junkie. “I see all these guys talking about each other, this and that, but not one of them mentions Edson Barboza. I guess maybe they think that if they just don’t talk about me, me and my leg kicks will go away.”
Barboza wouldn’t mind fighting the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is currently ranked #2 in the lightweight division, even though many believe that Nurmagomedov is a bad match up for the Brazilian star.
“People think that maybe Khabib is stylistically the worst matchup out there for me,” Barboza said. “Well, guess what – I asked my manager to push me to fight him on the New York card. No disrespect to him, but I guess he picked the easier fighter in Michael Johnson, and I really cant blame him, or anyone else for that matter. Guys who fight me, winning or losing, come out all banged up.”
Barboza hasn’t fought since July 2016 when he defeated former Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez by unanimous decision at UFC On Fox 20.
