Who is next for Edson Barboza? – 3 potential opponents

Edson Barboza snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. As Sodiq Yusuff almost put him away in round one, Barboza fought his way back into the bout and managed to wear down Yusuff over the long run and grab a win. As is the grind in the sport of mixed martial arts, fans are wondering “What’s next?” Let’s explore some options.

Bruce Leeroy: Edson Barboza and another striker

This writer’s personal pick for Edson Barboza’s next fight would be Alex Cacares. A striker in his own right, Cacares would be an interesting puzzle for Barboza to crack. Cacares has an awesome point fighting style that’s held up over the long run of his career.

Cacares is a former The Ultimate Fighter veteran and made his UFC debut in 2010. A staple of the featherweight division, he is on a 7-2 run but dropped his last fight to Giga Chikadze.

Both fighters are long in the tooth but would stylistically be exciting. Cacares is tricky and Barboza is still explosive. This one is my top pick.

Towards the title: Josh Emmett

In a bid for the featherweight title, Josh Emmett is a great option for Edson Barboza. Barboza, who will sit just outside the top ten, is on a two fight win streak. Emmett has lost two straight to Ilia Topuria and Yair Rodriguez. They’ll be close enough in rankings to pair up for a fun romp.

Emmett hits hard and Edson is, as we know, the king of kicks at 145. A scheduled bout between the two would be to see who is about it and who isn’t. If Emmett loses his third in a row, his time among the elite would likely be at an end. Barboza loses and he proves he isn’t capable of competing with the top of the division anymore.

A return to lightweight: Bobby Green rematch

Okay, so this fight would rely on Barboza being done at 145 with the weight cut being too much. A move to 155 would be where Barboza can be a main-eventer, not kill himself cutting weight he probably shouldn’t be, and live out his fighting days as an exciting fighter.

Barboza and Bobby Green had fought once before in 2014 where Barboza won via decision. But with Green’s newfound fame, a rematch would be exciting. No way green comes down to 145 as big of a star he is now. Edson Barboza coming up is the logical choice for the fight and for his liver.