Edson Barboza Ends Retirement After Just Three Months With Surprise Fight Deal

Edson Barboza as another fight left in him after retirement U-turn.© NDTV Photo Library

Former UFC lightweight Edson Barboza has ended his retirement just three months after walking away from mixed martial arts. The Brazilian veteran will return to competition against fellow UFC alumnus Rashid Magomedov in an ACBJJ “battle match” on November 13 in Rio de Janeiro. Barboza, 40, retired after a second-round TKO loss to Esteban Ribovics at UFC 330 in Philadelphia in August. This marked his fourth straight loss, which brought his professional record down to 24-15. The bout will be Barboza's first booking since announcing his retirement inside the Octagon.

Barboza faces a brutal new ruleset

The ACBJJ bout will not be a standard MMA fight. Punches, kicks, elbow strikes, knee strikes, and head-butts are all permitted in battle fights, whether standing or grounded, along with unrestricted submissions.

Only strikes above the collarbone are prohibited. If neither fighter is knocked out or submits, the result is decided by a five-judge panel using a 10-point must system.

Edson Barboza has competed outside the UFC before. In March, he faced Shara Magomedov at Hype Fighting Brazil under submission-only rules, with the bout ending in a draw.

Barboza admits walking away may not be that simple

Edson Barboza revealed that he is retiring from MMA fighting after his defeat by Ribovics. He stated that the Philadelphia crowd knew that his body could no longer compete at the highest level. He had not won since beating Sodiq Yusuff in October 2023.

The Brazilian later admitted that retirement may not be permanent. “It's hard to say that because I'm a fighter,” he told Ariel Helwani.

“I was born to do this. I've done anything in my life. My first professional fight was at 16. If you say right now, I say no; I don't want to fight anymore because, you know, I have a whole camp behind me," he added.

Eye problems stemming from his 2024 fight against Lerone Murphy had affected his later career. A run of losses to Drakkar Klose, Jalin Turner and Ribovics followed.

Former UFC lightweight contender Magomedov awaits Barboza

Rashid Magomedov is a 42-year-old Russian with a 26-6-1 MMA record. He went 5-1 in the UFC between 2014 and 2017 before competing for PFL and ACA. He was last defeated by Kuat Khamitov at ACBJJ 20 in a combat jiu-jitsu contest.

Barboza's return comes at ACBJJ 23, a card that also features Andre Galvao against Rousimar Palhares and a no-gi co-main event between Rodolfo Vieira and Kelvin Gastelum.

A strong performance could renew interest in Barboza's future. Though any UFC comeback remains speculative after his emotional exit in August.