UFC veteran Edson Barboza is sticking with the promotion he’s called home for over a decade.
Barboza’s management told MMA Fighting that Barboza, a longtime lightweight contender currently competing at 145 pounds, has re-signed with the UFC on a multi-fight deal. The exact terms of the contract were not disclosed.
According to Barboza’s manager Alex Davis, Barboza had one fight remaining on his previous contract.
“The UFC has opted to re-sign Barboza and keep him on the roster, and keep him active going forward,” Davis said. “Barboza and I believe he has what it takes to make a run for the belt and become champion, and that’s his focus.”
The news comes after an eventful 2020 for Barboza, in which he asked for a release from the UFC before eventually signing on for a fight with Dan Ige in May. Barboza lost a split decision to Ige, but rebounded with a unanimous nod over Makwan Amirkhani in his most recent outing. Barboza later said that his plan was to fight out his contract and consider offers should he enter free agency.
Barboza, 35, made a successful UFC debut in November 2010 with a third-round TKO of Mike Lullo. He won seven of his first eight UFC fights, including a memorable spinning wheel kick knockout of Terry Etim. The Brazilian standout has hovered around the upper echelon of the rankings for most of his UFC career, also scoring notable wins over Dan Hooker, Beneil Dariush, Gilbert Melendez, Anthony Pettis, and Paul Felder, among others.
His UFC record stands at 15-9 and he is 21-9 overall as a pro.