Edson Barboza left the UFC cage for the final time as a professional fighter Saturday, losing to Esteban Ribovics in the main card portion of UFC 330 in Philadelphia, and coming to the conclusion it was the right call wasn’t easy.
Barboza told MMA Fighting during fight week it was possible that Ribovics would be his final UFC bout, but now admits the decision had already been made. He had to fight back the tears walking to the octagon and seeing his kids in attendance at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, and couldn’t hold the emotion in his post-fight interview.
“It’s crazy,” Barboza told MMA Fighting on Monday. “I think maybe one of the reasons I’m retiring is because, when I look back at these last three fights I had, on paper, I look at them and say, ‘Man, this is a perfect fight for me.’ These guys are matchups that fit my game, everything is perfect. But Edson Barboza isn’t the same Edson Barboza he was 20 years ago. I’m a different person. I’m a different fighter today, with limitations, at 40 years old. Physically, I’m not the same as I was when I was 30.”
“If they had given me these last three fights 10 years ago, my brother, I would’ve killed these guys,” he continued. “I’m sure my level was much higher than theirs. But the fights went the way they were supposed to go, man. I gave it my best. What makes me very comfortable putting my head on the pillow and resting is knowing that I gave it my all. Whether I won or lost, I gave my best in every fight, but especially in these last ones, I gave everything I had to try to win. It just didn’t happen.”
Barboza leaves the sport on a four-fight losing skid, including a decision to Lerone Murphy at featherweight before going 0-3 in his return to lightweight against Drakkar Klose, Jalin Turner, and Ribovics. Barboza’s remarkable run in the promotion started in 2010 and included 33 fights, six of those against future UFC champions and title contenders.
Admitting you’re longer able to beat someone of that level is “f*king hard,” according to Barboza.
“I’ve been going through this huge internal struggle for a long time,” Barboza said. “I suffered the eye injury back in my fight with Murphy, and I’ve been having these internal battles ever since. ‘Am I still able to fight the same way because of the eye injury I had?’ It was hard, man. But at the same time, somehow, it was peaceful to look at it and say, ‘But I’ve already done it, man.’ I don’t have to prove anything to anyone anymore. One thing I put in my head was that I don’t need to prove anything to anybody. If I’m here, it’s because the UFC wants me to be here.
“Losing still hurts me a lot. The same way it did, or maybe even more than when I was younger. Today, maybe I’m no longer competitive enough to compete at the highest level, to fight the best guys in the UFC. The guy I just fought had his previous fight in the main event. I fought Jalin Turner, who just knocked out another guy and won a bonus. If I’m no longer in a position to compete at this level, maybe it’s time to stop. I promised my wife that I would never fight for money. I promised her that, and I think this was the right time to stop.”
The 40-year-old starts his post-fighting life eyeing a possible transition to MMA coach, as well as considering opening his own gym in the future because “it would be unfair for me not to share all these years and all this knowledge with people.” Barboza’s son plays soccer in Florida, while his daughter trains jiu-jitsu, and watching them fight one day is not something he’s ready for just yet.
Barboza knows he will likely receive offers from other MMA promotions down the line, but promised his wife he won’t do it even though he feels “I can still beat the shit out of a lot of people.” Barboza remains open to other forms of competition, however, like grappling and wrestling.
The UFC chapter of his life came to an end in Philadelphia, and it was a memorable one. Barboza couldn’t add another finish to his epic highlight reel, but still received a standing ovation from nearly 20,000 fans at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“It was funny because I wasn’t worried about that,” Barboza said of the love he received from fans. “If they gave me a few congratulations and pats on the back, I’d be satisfied because I know what I’ve done. Nothing changes. It doesn’t matter what people think. But it was special. It was better than I had imagined. I asked for the victory, and there are things that come beyond winning. I think the recognition I received there, even in defeat, was greater than it would have been if I had won.”
