Edson Barboza on Harrowing First Round at UFC Fight Night 230: ‘The Error was Mine’

Edson Barboza refused to go away quietly, even when the chips were down.

The 37-year-old Brazilian withstood a hellacious first-round beating and once again asserted himself in the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight division, as he outlasted Sodiq Yusuff to a unanimous decision in the UFC Fight Night 230 main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Despite the successful outcome, Barboza understands he survived a close call and puts 100% of the blame on himself. Peril, he admits, was largely self-inflicted.

“It was a strategic error of mine, not my team’s,” Barboza told Sherdog.com. “My team told me not to brawl with him, especially at the beginning of the fight. I didn’t have to make it a dogfight. That’s what I did. I’m a fighter. He hit me. I wanted to hit him back. The error was mine, and I paid for it. Thankfully, I was able to turn things around over the next four rounds. I got ready for a marathon, not a 100-meter race. In the end, everything worked out.”

Barboza nudged his way back into the fight with a competitive second round, then proceeded to outland the Team Lloyd Irvin representative by a 120-94 margin across the final 15 minutes. All told, the two men combined to connect for nearly 400 total strikes against one another. Their efforts resulted in $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonuses—the ninth such boon of Barboza’s career, which ranks first on the UFC’s all-time list.

“Maybe that’s due to my fighting style,” he said. “I love to fight. I love keeping it on the feet. I’m comfortable against anyone. I think that tends to make for great fights, and, of course, we should credit my opponents, too. I fight the best in the world. Whenever you put two of the best together, you’ll always have a great fight.”

Barboza, who turns 38 in January, has no plans to alter his approach moving forward.

“I never thought much about changing things,” he said. “I’ve been in the UFC for 13 years. Everyone knows what I do. I’m still able to hurt my opponents. Of course, I always look to improve in every facet every day. I work on my striking, jiu-jitsu and grappling—everything. Things have worked out, and I’ll keep doing what I’ve been doing. I train hard every day, looking to always improve so I can reach my goal of being champion. Since my first fight, the goal has been to be the best in my weight class. Nothing has changed in that regard.”

The win over Yusuff improved Barboza to 18-11 in the UFC. He has grown accustomed to the up-and-down existence many mixed martial artists must learn to lead.

“It’s a part of our lives,” Barboza said. “Life is made of such moments. Sometimes we’re happy, then we’re sad. We win. We lose. I deal with that very well. I know that’s how things are. It’s part of the process.”

Where the former Ring of Combat champion goes from here remains anyone’s guess, though he wants to build on his momentum and continue his rise on the featherweight ladder. Barboza still thinks he has what it takes to reach the top of the mountain in the UFC.

“My next opponent, I hope, should be someone ranked above me,” he said. “I believe I proved I have the ability to go against the best in the world. That’s especially true now. My physical shape is better than ever. I’m ready. I hope the UFC gives me someone above me, so I can keep climbing up and have my shot at the belt. That’s my main objective.”