Edson Barboza (photo via UFC / YouTube)

By FCF Staff

Following a 2019 year which saw Edson Barboza drop bouts to lightweights Paul Felder and Justin Gaethje, his manager’s confirmed the fighter’s planning a move to featherweight.

The 33-year-old Barboza has been one of the UFC’s top lightweights for some time now. But, since 2016, the feared striker has gone 2-4.

Following a report from Combate, which relayed Barboza is planning to move to 145, his manager Alex Davis spoke with MMA Junkie. While discussing Barzbo’s decision, Davis said this:

“The move to 145, provided he feels good, opens a lot of opportunity for him,” Davis said. “I’m really more of a fan of seeing guys go up in weight than down. I’ve been more successful like that, for example with Thiago Santos. But in Edson’s case, he actually has a harder time staying heavy than he does dropping weight. I think that the way he sits in the 155 division, it makes sense for him to try 145. I think that after what (Jose) Aldo did, I personally did not think Aldo was going to look good at all, but we were all proved wrong. I think that Edson deserves the opportunity to try 145. I think there’s a lot of great fights there for him. The whole team, the coaches think he’s going to look fine. And he’s really, really excited.”

“….If you look at the 155 division and the fights that are there for him, he’s fought everybody,” Davis said. “For his name and his career and his legacy, the drop to 145 gives an opportunity for a fresh start. We like all the fights in that division. We’re not going to be picking opponents. Whoever they tell us, we’re going to go against them.”

Since Barboza (20-8) joined the UFC in 2010, the Brazilian has gone 14-8.