Edson Barboza is excited for his UFC 262 main card scrap against Shane Burgos.
Barboza is coming off a dominant win over Makwan Amirkhani to snap his losing skid, was frustrated with his contract and said he wanted a new deal or his release. He ended up getting a new contract and will face Burgos on Saturday, where the Brazilian is expecting a fan-friendly fight.
“I want to go dominate for sure, but it’s going to be a big war,” Barboza said at UFC 262 media day on Wednesday. “Oh yeah, it’s going to be a big war. I’ve trained for 15 minutes back and forth, and it’s going to be exciting. I’m a fan. When this fight finishes, I want to go straight back to watch it because I know it’s going to be a fun fight for sure.”
For Barboza, he knows his time is running out to become champion as he is 35. However, this fight against Burgos is a chance for him to become a top-10 featherweight if he can beat Burgos which will be easier said than done.
“Yes, of course, I think he’s No. 9 in the rankings, and he’s one of the best in the world,” Barboza said. “He’s a top-10. Every time he fights, he puts on a show, and I like to watch him because I know every time he fights he puts on a show. Just look at his last two fights, great fights. It makes me very excited like, ‘OK, you have to train. This guy is tough.’ I trained a lot, and I’m ready for this.”
The goal for Barboza is to get a quick KO which he says is a real possibility given their styles. However, he is preparing for a back-and-forth 15-minute war in what will be one of the best fights of the night.
