Barboza On UFC 330: 'Could Be The Finish Line'

Edson Barboza enters the octagon Saturday at UFC 330 knowing it might be for the last time.

The 40-year-old lightweight, who meets Esteban Ribovics in Philadelphia, compared his position to a marathoner nearing the tape. "I'm just enjoying the moment, because I know the finish line is getting closer," he told MMA Fighting. "This next fight could be the finish line, man. I don't know."

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Barboza's Decision Comes Down To The Moment

Barboza has gone 18-14 across 32 UFC bouts, with wins over Dan Hooker, Beneil Dariush, Gilbert Melendez, Anthony Pettis, Paul Felder and Bobby Green. His choice to walk away will not hinge on the result against Ribovics, he said. "The decision is made in the moment. It doesn't matter what happens." Financial security and strong family health have lifted the pressure he once felt, allowing him to focus on each fight as it comes rather than mapping out the next camp.

Barboza took his first real break after losing to Turner last December, staying out of combat training until February and spending two months on nutrition and recovery. He arrived at this camp without pain or injury for the first time in years, he said, and the rest showed mentally as well. "I was genuinely healthy going into a camp," he told the outlet. "No pain, no injuries, none of those things we always deal with."

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When asked about his legacy, Barboza dismissed the question and said what matters most is his wife and two children remembering him. His parents died recently, and he notices how easily their memory can slip from daily thought despite the love he carried for them. "If my son or my daughter, years from now, stop and look back and say, 'Damn, Dad was a great fighter,' I'll already be extremely happy."

Ribovics is a decade younger and recently dropped a decision to Barboza's American Top Team teammate Mateusz Gamrot. Barboza expects the Argentine to press forward and said he gathered intel from Gamrot ahead of the matchup. "He's going to come forward, I'm going to come forward, and we're going to beat each other up," Barboza said. The bout is scheduled for the main card at UFC 330 on Saturday night.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Edson Barboza: UFC 330 ‘could be the finish line’ for career