Between the UFC’s breakneck schedule and the recent trend regarding the recruitment of young fighters to its roster, it can be shockingly easy to forget about the promotion’s veterans who continue to contribute so much.
Edson Barboza, for example, is one of many Brazilian war horses whose careers have quietly defied logic.
Staying afloat in the UFC is difficult enough, but doing so for as long as he has in the sport’s deepest divisions is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted. And though many fighters begin to drop off at this point in their careers, Barboza has continued to produce highlight-reel moments against young lions looking to take his spot.
This post pays homage to a Brazilian who – like Marco Ruas and Anderson Silva before him – forever influenced the striking that we see in today’s world of MMA.
Without further ado, here are Edson’s Barboza’s UFC knockouts, ranked.
Edson Barboza leg-kick TKOs Mike Lullo at UFC 123 (Nov. 20, 2010)
In what was a memorable UFC debut, Barboza stepprd onto the scene with a vicious leg-kick TKO over Mike Lullo.
Lullo, who was stepping in for an injured Darren Elkins, was a scrappy submission grappler who did everything within his power to force Barboza into a ground fight.
Barboza was able to dictate the grappling traffic fairly easily by smartly looking for his spots to separate. And once Barboza got to space standing, it was essentially open season on Lullo’s entire body.
Leg-kick stoppages weren’t exactly a new concept at this time (as the aforementioned Marco Ruas set the standard back at UFC 7 opposite Paul Varelans), but Barboza’s kicks brought thudding explosions that even heavyweights like Antoni Hardonk had to tip his hat to. In fact, a friend of mine was in the audience that night and said that he can still hear the sounds of Barboza’s kicks playing in his head.
Although this could easily be higher on this list, it felt like a solid place to start.
Edson Barboza TKOs Lucas Martins at UFC on FX 7 (Jan. 19, 2013)
As was the trend back then, Barboza would face yet another short-notice replacement in Lucas Martins, who was stepping in for an injured Justin Salas.
Barboza was coming off his first career loss to Jamie Varner at UFC 146 and decided to switch things up by working with Mark Henry and company in New Jersey. Henry, who was a coach that helped Frankie Edgar find his feet in the boxing department, was able to help Barboza sharpen his boxing-based counters (particularly his left hand).
These improvements were on full display that night.
Edson Barboza’s fight with Lucas Martins was the first time we see Mark Henry in his corner… a lot of the tweaks in his boxing game arguably start to show from this fight forward in regards to feints, counters and lead-hand work. #UFConFX7 pic.twitter.com/M76qRoo28N
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) May 1, 2023
Edson Barboza leg-kick TKOs Rafaello Oliveira at UFC 162 (July 6, 2013)
In what was his third consecutive short-notice opponent, Barboza agreed to meet Rafaello Oliveira inside the octagon after John Makdessi withdrew from injury.
Although we’re splitting hairs between leg-kick TKOs, there’s something about the ones that Barboza lands in this fight that draw a visceral reaction from me. I mean, there’s a certain point where it looks like Barboza is about to literally kick through the side of Oliveira’s leg.
Herb Dean thankfully stopped this one faster than Marc Fennell did back at UFC 123, officially earning Barboza a place in the history books as the first UFC fighter to win by leg-kick TKO twice.
Edson Barboza KOs Billy Quarantillo at UFC on ESPN 44 (April 15, 2023)
Almost a decade past the prior entry, Barboza still finds himself starching UFC competition in impressive fashion. Although I’m a big fan of Billy Quarantillo, it’s hard not to be happy whenever I see an aging veteran defy the odds by holding the proverbial door.
Despite being on the wrong side of a tough two-fight skid, Barboza was able to bring back a classic by timing a brutal knee off of a level-changing jab.
FIRST ROUND KO FOR EDSON BARBOZA 🤯 #UFCKansasCity pic.twitter.com/w3DpcsX1RZ
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 16, 2023
Edson Barboza TKOs Evan Dunham at UFC Fight Night 45 (July 16, 2014)
Even though this one was difficult to watch given that Evan Dunham is a former coach of mine, there’s nothing that gets my juices flowing like a good liver shot.
No matter how tough you are or how good your chin is, nothing can save you from a well-placed strike to the liver (which causes a system shutdown).
Barboza, who typically did well against southpaws, celebrated the open stance dynamic between him and Dunham by blasting a kick right to the American’s midsection for a quick night at the office.
“Edson Barboza”
This guy has one of the most viscious finishes in #ufc history. #edsonbarboza
He throws everything with bad intention.🥶#ko #knockout #reels #MMATwitter #viral pic.twitter.com/tmmJO2VOEU— Ufc_fanboy_2022 (@SahilTa49729420) April 28, 2023
Edson Barboza KOs Shane Burgos at UFC 262 (May 15, 2021)
Speaking of delayed reactions, you’ll find few spookier than Barboza’s abrupt finish of Shane Burgos.
Despite looking good at his new home of 145 pounds, Barboza found himself as an underdog to the up-and-coming Burgos.
Using his size and striking swagger to get Barboza’s respect, Burgos was able to establish his boxing presence firmly, all while landing some leg kicks of his own.
That said, Barboza (whom I refer to as a war horse for good reason) was able to keep his composure as the war waged on, steadily sitting down more and more on his punches.
Edson Barboza….That’s the tweet 🦵🥊💥
— MTJ – Da Body Jabber (@Da_Body_Jabber) March 16, 2023
It was a finish that caused visible shock and concern to Dana White and others cageside, but thankfully Burgos was able to recover and live to fight another day.
Edson Barboza KOs Dan Hooker at UFC on FOX 31 (Dec. 15, 2018)
In what could easily be the most brutal selection on this list, Barboza’s body beating of Dan Hooker deserves ample acknowledgment.
Despite Barboza dishing out measurable damage to the legs and head of Hooker, it’s the Brazilian’s bodywork that really stands out in this performance. Whether he’s unloading his signature switch kick or levering hooks to the liver, Barboza’s not-so-quiet commitment to tenderizing his opposition’s midsection is truly something to behold.
Body shots still don’t get the credit they deserve in MMA due to the fact that a human torso doesn’t bruise as easily as a calf or cut as easily as a cheek, but anyone who knows anything about fighting knows that the body shot reigns supreme.
Edson Barboza putting in some incredible body work on Dan Hooker 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/9eXwLE22TM
— 𝙼𝙼𝙰 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚞𝚜 🏝 (@mmamarcuss) January 12, 2023
Edson Barboza KOs Beneil Dariush at UFC Fight Night 106 (March 11, 2017)
Although you could argue that Cory Sandhagen’s flying knee knockout over Frankie Edgar is cleaner than this one, there’s something about Barboza’s hair-trigger response to jabs that make this highlight all the more impressive.
If you go back to watch the fight in its entirety, you’ll see that Beneil Dariush was actually doing quite well up until the knockout.
Following the path of the fighters like Michael Johnson and Jamie Varner, Dariush attempted to combine striking and grappling pressure in an effort to overload Barboza and get him on the back foot.
Even though Dariush was able to find a decent amount of success throughout the contest, Barboza eventually beat on Dariush’s jabs and time one of his commitments with a perfectly placed knee.
That time Edson Barboza nearly decapitated Beneil Dariush pic.twitter.com/8Bs4bK7gbr
— BRAWL UNIVERSE 🌐 (@BrawlUniverse) February 21, 2023
Edson Barboza KOs Terry Etim at UFC 142 (Jan. 14, 2012)
Despite being an obvious choice, I’d be remiss if I didn’t have this hallmark knockout atop this list.
Although I feel for the fact that Terry Etim’s name and image will always catch some sort of stray anytime this bout gets brought up, there’s no denying the impact that this kick had on the sport.
Akin to Anderson Silva’s front kick KO that inspired generations to come, Barboza’s spinning wheel kick brought what was thought to be a flamboyant technique to the forefront of fighters’ nightmares.
In fact, not long after this brutal finish in Brazil, we would see fighters like Vitor Belfort, Uriah Hall and Junior Dos Santos score spinning kick knockouts of their own.
It’s nearly impossible to pick an all-time favorite knockout in MMA, but no one would blame you for taking this Barboza selection to the bank.
