Barboza Reveals He Fought Half-Blind For Two Years

Edson Barboza competed in three UFC fights with almost no vision in his right eye.

The Brazilian veteran, who retired at UFC 330 after a stoppage loss to Esteban Ribovics in Philadelphia, told Yahoo Sports he has been unable to see out of his right eye since his bout against Lerone Murphy in May 2024. "I don't see anymore in my right eye. I don't see anything," Barboza said, per MMA Mania. "I had surgery twice, but I had a hard time going back to training because it's super hard not to see with both eyes. I don't see everything in black. I see a couple flashes of light."

How Barboza Got Medical Clearance To Fight

Despite the injury, Barboza fought Drakkar Klose, Jalin Turner, and Ribovics after the Murphy fight. He said medical personnel knew about his damaged vision and that he signed paperwork accepting responsibility for the risks. "The medicals let me fight," Barboza said. "For the most part, I just said, 'I want to fight.' I signed and said, 'If anything happens, it's my fault.'" The approach differs from Michael Bisping's situation — the former middleweight champion later admitted he lied during medical exams and used a secret code with his coach to pass vision tests during the final 11 fights of his career.

Barboza's eye doctor has told him the vision might eventually return. "He said maybe," Barboza said. "It's crazy because sometimes I feel a little better and I can see a little bit, but most days I don't see anything. When I get out in the sun, I can't see anything." Barboza placed his gloves in the Octagon after the Ribovics fight and told media he could no longer compete at a high level.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Edson Barboza reveals he was fighting half-blind for two years – ‘It’s been super hard’