Barboza On Admitting It Was Time To Retire

Edson Barboza struggled for months to accept what his body kept telling him.

The 40-year-old lightweight ended his UFC career Saturday with a loss to Esteban Ribovics at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, closing out a 16-year run with the promotion that featured 33 fights and battles against six future champions. Barboza told MMA Fighting on Monday that the decision to retire had already been made before he walked to the cage at Xfinity Mobile Arena, though acknowledging it required overcoming what he called huge internal struggles.

Why Barboza Knew His Time Had Come

Barboza said his last three opponents represented perfect stylistic matchups on paper, the kind of fights he would have dominated a decade ago. But at 40, with physical limitations he no longer denies, those advantages disappeared. "If they had given me these last three fights 10 years ago, my brother, I would've killed these guys," he said, per MMA Fighting. "I'm sure my level was much higher than theirs."

The Brazilian leaves the sport on a four-fight skid after going 0-3 at lightweight following a featherweight loss to Lerone Murphy. An eye injury sustained in the Murphy bout triggered the internal debate over whether he could still fight at his old level. Barboza said admitting he could no longer beat elite competition was difficult, but ultimately peaceful once he accepted that he had nothing left to prove.

Barboza told the outlet he promised his wife he would never fight for money, which factored into his decision to walk away rather than drop down the ranks or pursue offers from other promotions. He remains open to grappling or wrestling competition and plans to transition into coaching, possibly opening his own gym. His son plays soccer in Florida while his daughter trains jiu-jitsu, though Barboza said watching them compete in MMA is something he is not ready for yet.

Nearly 20,000 fans gave Barboza a standing ovation in Philadelphia despite the loss. He called the recognition greater than a victory would have been. Barboza is scheduled to receive his official release from the UFC in the coming weeks.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Edson Barboza at peace with retirement after ‘internal battles’ to admit it was time to walk away