Edson Barboza Dropping Down To Featherweight

It looks like longtime UFC lightweight contender Edson Barboza will be dropping down to the featherweight division.

The report comes from the Brazilian sports outlet Combate. Barboza last competed in September when he was defeated by Paul Felder in controversial fashion. The Brazilian saw the wrong end of a split decision against “The Irish Dragon” in Abu Dhabi. It marked the second loss in a row for Barboza.

It has been a difficult few years for the Brazilian striker, having won only one of his last five fights. Perhaps a drop down to 145 pounds would be beneficial for him, however, he’d be entering a very talent-stacked division that includes names such as newly-crowned champion Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, Brian Ortega, “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung, Zabit Magomedsharipov, and many more.

Of course, this won’t be much different than lightweight, which also features a loaded lineup such as Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Tony Ferguson, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje, amongst others. No official fight has been made for Barboza’s debut at 145 pounds.

It will certainly be interesting to see who the Las Vegas-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion matches him up against. We’ll keep you updated as soon as we learn more.

What do you make of Barboza dropping down to the featherweight division?