Nevermind that he is coming off the first back-to-back losses of his career; Edson Barboza is a perennial top contender with notable victories over Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez. He has lost only to high-level competition, and would refuse to be a stepping stone for the resurging Dan Hooker, who he is set to face at UFC on Fox 31.
As “Junior” prepares for the bout that could ferry him inside the top 5, take a look at the numbers that have made him one of the most dangerous fighters at 155.