E. Barboza (photo) faces Khabib (Photo: Reproduction Twitter ufc_brasil)
Light weight Edson Barboza will have the biggest challenge of his career at UFC 219 next Saturday (30): he will have to beat the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov to stay on track for the category belt. Considered one of the greatest grapplers in Ultimate, the Russian has 24 wins in 24 fights, eight of them in Ultimate. However, Khabib's incessant takedown game doesn't scare the Brazilian.
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Training takedown defense with Nick Catone and jiu-jitsu with Ricardo Cachorrão, the decorated Muay Thai specialist believes he can keep Khabib away from him and says his opponent is just “one more” in his career.
“I look at him as just another opponent. If I get in the octagon and do my best, I will win this fight. To fight well, you need to have feeling, so every now and then, if I'm well on the ground, I'll try to hold him close to me, but if I'm well on my feet, I'll want to keep the fight there. I'm not afraid of his falls. I’m ready to win wherever I go in the fight”, commented Edson in an interview with the North American program UFC 219 Countdown.
After a devastating start, including a historic knockout over Terry emo at UFC 142, Barboza began to alternate victories and defeats, but comes from three excellent triumphs, over the former Ultimate champion Anthony Pettis, former owner of the Strikeforce belt Gilbert Melendez and the ranked Beneil Dariush, the latter with a great knockout with a knee.
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