Edson Barboza not scared of Justin Gaethje’s leg kicks
On Saturday night, two of the best leg kickers in the game in Justin Gaethje vs Edson Barboza will square off in the main event of UFC Philadelphia. It is being talked about as the early frontrunner for Fight of the Year and Barboza is encouraging Gaethje to come at him and put on a show.
“I feel very comfortable that I’m a different Edson Barboza the last couple of fights,” Barboza said to MMAFighting. “You guys have seen [my] last fight against a guy who puts pressure on everybody? Dan Hooker, he puts pressure on everybody, but I stopped that guy.
“I don’t worry about the damage,” added Barboza. “If I thought about the damage, I’d go to be a doctor or, I don’t know, do something different. I’m a fighter. This is my whole life. I’ve [been taking] damage my whole life. I’m a Muay Thai fighter. I think I’ve had close to 1,000 stitches in my face. I’m definitely not worried about the damage. A couple years ago I remember I had my fights against Tony Ferguson and Paul Felder, [they were in conversations for] fights of the year. I have them too. That makes me very excited.
“I’m ready for pain, 25 minutes.”
Meanwhile, most fighters are scared of Gaethje’s leg kicks, but not Barboza. Rather, he is more than ready to face Gaethje’s leg kicks and prove why he has the best kicks in the game.
“A lot of guys don’t talk about that,” Barboza told MMA Fighting with a grin, “because I come from Muay Thai. Everybody tried to finish me with a leg kick, but nobody finished me yet with a leg kick. You can say whatever you want.
“I have two finishes in the UFC with leg kicks. He doesn’t have any finishes in the UFC with the leg kicks. It’s different. You see my style and his style, it’s very different. His leg kicks work well too, he’s a great fighter, but definitely I don’t have only the leg kicks. I have finishes with body kicks, I have finishes with high kicks. I’m definitely the best kicker in the game.”
Ultimately, Barboza is more than confident he has what it takes to win the fight, and promises it to be a war.
“It’s going to be a big war,” Barboza vowed. “And I’ll win.”
