Edson Barboza elevated to headline UFC Vegas 81 against top-15 contender

Featherweight veteran Edson Barboza has now been with the UFC for well over a decade, dating back to his octagon debut in November 2010.

‘Junior’ is set to turn 38 years old next January, but he remains a very valid contender in the 145lbs division, currently sitting at No.13.

The last time we saw Edson Barboza in action, he turned out the lights on Billy Quarantillo in devastating fashion, using a knee strike that he claimed to have trained for eight weeks to seal the deal.

Just over a month ago, it was announced that ‘Junior’ would be facing off with No.11 ranked featherweight Sodiq Yusuff at UFC Vegas 81 on October 14th.

Today, though, it has been revealed by MMAJunkie’s Nolan King that the bout between ‘Junior’ and ‘Super Sodiq’ will actually act as the headliner for the event, and will now be scheduled for five rounds.

This will be the first time that Yusuff will have been scheduled in a five-round fight since he made his UFC debut in December 2018. The native of Nigeria holds an octagon record of 6-1.

Edson Barboza, meanwhile, hasn’t been booked in a five-round bout since he was defeated by Giga Chikadze in the headliner of UFC Vegas 35 in August 2021.

This fight will stand as the third headline bout of an octagon career that has seen him put together a record of 17-11.

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Edson Barboza UFC Vegas 81: What did Michael Bisping say about ‘Junior’ in his last fight?

Edson Barboza’s last trip to the octagon was a highly impressive victory over Billy Quarantillo. ‘Junior’ disposed of the TUF 22 veteran midway through the first round with a violent knee, earning a bonus of $50k in the process.

While everyone was impressed with Barboza’s knockout win, UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping seemed equally thrilled by the shredded physique that the Brazilian sported for the fight.

On his Believe You Me podcast, ‘The Count’ even compared ‘Junior’ to a bodybuilder, stating the following:

“Edson Barboza, I couldn’t believe it...when he stepped into the octagon, the shape of the man! I mean, I even said it on commentary, it’s not a bodybuilding contest, and that’s a good job, otherwise Edson wins right now. I mean, that had to be one of the most ripped people we’ve ever seen in the octagon!”

Watch Michael Bisping discuss this below.