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The evolution of Bryan Barberena has made him a welterweight fighter who continues to rack up must-see fights. At 33 years old, 'Bam Bam' has had an up-and-down MMA career, including a loss against Leon Edwards in 2017 where he almost won by knockout.
After starting his UFC career with four wins and two losses, Barberena went up against emerging contender Edwards. 'Rocky' was 5-2 in the UFC at the time and on a three-fight win streak. Although 'Bam Bam' ended up losing, there was a moment in the fight where he was seconds away from winning via KO/TKO. Edwards, however, weathered the storm and ended up winning by unanimous decision.
Watch Bryan Barberena almost finish Leon Edwards in 2017:
'Rocky' now holds a 10-fight unbeaten streak, including one no-contest, and has earned the next shot at welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
After the bout with Edwards, Barberena lost three of his next five fights before ultimately putting everything together in his latest three-fight win streak.
'Bam Bam' may not have gone on to earn a title shot if he beat Edwards, but who knows how his matchmaking would've changed if he had finished 'Rocky'. Nonetheless, everything happens for a reason, and that loss helped him become the fighter he is today.
Bryan Barberena was "keeping an eye" on Li Jingliang vs. Muslim Salikhov
On July 16, the UFC took a trip to Long Island, where several fighters stole the show with electrifying finishes. One of those was Li Jingliang's knockout against Muslim Salikhov. Jingliang has an aggressive fighting style, and Barberena is in the market for an opponent that will get him another all-action fight.
Before the fight went down, Barberena went on Twitter and posted:
"Keeping an eye on this one"
Barberena is currently on a three-fight win streak after beating Darian Weeks, Matt Brown, and Robbie Lawler. 'Bam Bam' continues to put on entertaining fights, and he's now ready to prove his run for the title is legit.
Watch Li Jingliang's performance bonus-winning knockout of Muslim Salikhov at UFC Long Island below:
