Edson Barboza Couldn't Believe Just how Well-Rounded Khabib Nurmagomedov Was

After losing to Esteban Ribovics at UFC 330, Edson Barboza bid farewell to the sport. Almost a decade back, in 2017, Barboza faced Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 219. While Nurmagomedov secured the win against Barboza, the Brazilian-American fighter reflected on how strongly the Dagestani legend dominated him inside the octagon.

Edson Barboza faced ‘The Eagle’ for the co-main event at UFC 219. Nurmagomedov won the lightweight bout against Barboza by unanimous decision after three one-sided rounds. Going down memory lane, the 40-year-old fighter shared how Khabib Nurmagomedov was the only opponent who made him feel helpless on the ground.

"The only person I really felt in front of me in that position was Khabib,” said Barboza, reflecting on his fight against the former lightweight champion. Barboza is known for his explosive striking skills and lightning-fast speed. However, his skills were overpowered by ‘The Eagle’s’ wrestling skills.

The 24-15 fighter further added, “He wasn't the strongest physically, and I was defending very well. No one had ever controlled me on the ground before. But I remember when I went down to the ground with him, every time I tried to get up, he was there. I tried to pull my hands to the other side, and he was there too. His ground fighting skills are unbelievable.”

Khabib Shared Encouraging Words for Edson Barboza After Retirement 

Barboza faced the 30-year-old fighter in UFC 330. Although the veteran fighter was all geared up to face the Ribovics, he got defeated in the second round via TKO. Following the conclusion of the fight, when Barboza hung his gloves, Nurmagomedov was also present in the venue as the cornerman for Islam Makhachev. 

Nurmagomedov shared his opinion about Barboza’s career and retirement as he added, “Long time ago, sport leave him, but today he leaves the sport too. This is happen. When you're 40 years old, you have to think your family. It's better. Family is better than to be beat up like this. This is my opinion, but he's a legend. A legend of this sport.”

Losing the fight to Ribovics, Barboza faced four back-to-back losses in the UFC. He lost the fight against Lerone Murphy at UFC Fight Night on May 18, 2024. Following that, he lost to Drakkar Klose at UFC 319 and to Jalin Turner at UFC 323.