Edson Barboza reveals why he retired after UFC 330

Edson Barboza explains why he decided to end his UFC career at 40

Longtime fan favorite Edson Barboza decided to end his career following his TKO loss to @Esteban Ribovics at UFC 330, and now he explains why.

Edson Barboza is now 40 years old and has just lost four fights in a row. He now seems a bit slow and isn’t as effective on the offensive as he once was. This also led the referee to stop the fight, as Esteban Ribovics applied constant pressure and landed hard strikes to the head and body.

After the fight, Edson Barboza spoke with UFC commentator Joe Rogan and confirmed his retirement. However, his reason for retiring wasn’t known at the time. He revealed it in an interview with UFC reporter Megan Olivi.

“I’ve had a big battle inside of me for a long, long time. Well, not long, long—it was my fight with (Lerone) Murphy. I was like, ‘I don’t feel the same.’ Plus, I’m a very competitive guy. I hate to lose. I have a hard time when I lose. I tried. I kept training hard, but I felt like my body wasn’t the same anymore, I'm 40, with 33 battles in the UFC. Thank God, I did good this camp. I was very healthy. But, yeah, my body isn’t the same. I can’t compete at a high level anymore”

he says.

With this, a truly spectacular striker is leaving the UFC. Edson Barboza is known for some of his numerous highlight-reel finishers, which have been a hallmark of his career. His spinning wheel kick from 2012 is particularly legendary. It was the first time this technique had led to a knockout in UFC history. To this day, that knockout remains one of the most spectacular in UFC history.

He was an extraordinary fighter whose fighting style was very popular with many fans. Now, unfortunately, his time is up, and he has decided to call it quits.