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40 SPORTS AWEMainta Dialuna, 16 October 2023
Veteran Edson Barboza Stages Comeback
to Win Slugfest at UFC Vegas 81
EDSON Barboza and Sodiq Yusuff engaged in an electri-
fying featherweight bout at UFC Vegas 81, held at Apex in
Las Vegas. In the opening round, Yusuff delivered a barrage
of heavy strikes to Barboza, making it appear as another
early knockout victory for the night.
However, Barboza, a seasoned fighter known for his brutal
leg kicks, refused to back down. Despite being battered in
the first round and nearly finished, he staged a remarkable
comeback, securing a unanimous decision win over Yusuff
in this thrilling slugfest. The judges’ scorecards read 48-46
twice and 49-46 in favor of Barboza. Yahoo Sports’ score-
card saw it 48-45 in Barboza’s favor.
Barboza’s recovery was nothing short of incredible. “I was
very dizzy,” he admitted, with his eye nearly closed and a
face full of welts. “I didn’t know if I was in the gym, at my
house playing with the kids, or what. I didn’t know what was
going on.” Yet, he quickly regained his composure, control- While Yusuff held a slight edge in significant strikes (178-
ling the fight’s pace from thereon. 164), it was Barboza’s 89 body shots that likely turned the
tide. His relentless focus on attacking Yusuff’s body caused
the younger fighter to slow down, enabling Barboza to make
a victorious comeback.
Yusuff acknowledged his over-eagerness in the first round,
understanding that he should have picked his shots more
strategically. “I got a bit overzealous. I’m still young in this
game,” he conceded.
The event also featured Jonathan Martinez delivering a
brutal leg kick knockout against Adrian Yanez, becoming
only the 15th fighter in UFC history to achieve such a finish.
Additionally, Michel Pereira, after missing weight earlier,
moved up to middleweight and secured a quick win in the
first round against Andre Petroski.
Moreover, Darren Elkins, known for his resiliency, submitted
T.J. Brown, proving he still has plenty of fight left in him
at nearly 40 years old. Meanwhile, Terrance McKinney
continued his impressive knockout streak with a 20-second
win over Brendon Marotte.
In a notable post-fight callout, Melissa Dixon, despite an
early knockdown, secured a unanimous decision win over
Irina Alekseeva and challenged UFC CEO Dana White for a
post-fight bonus, asserting that her performance deserved
recognition. Dixon’s tenacity echoed a night of thrilling and
unexpected moments at UFC Vegas 81.
