It’s no surprise, given their long tenures inside the UFC’s lightweight division, that Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov would have a few opponents in common. Gleison Tibau, Michael Johnson, Rafael dos Anjos, and even Abel Trujillo have all fought both men. Notable as well, among that select group, is longtime lightweight action standout Edson Barboza.
Barboza fought Nurmagomedov back in December of 2017, at UFC 219, losing the bout by unanimous decision. Two years before that, however, he was on the wrong end of a D’Arce choke—slapped on by none other than ‘El Cucuy’ at the Ultimate Fighter 22 Season Finale.