Contrary to popular belief, having a ripped physique does not give fighters any advantage in an MMA fight. Sure, having a jacked body adds to the intimidation factor and can impress fans. But as for in-ring performance, it has little contribution there. Plenty of fighters rocking the typical ‘dad bod’ haven’t just done well inside the octagon but have also been crowned champions.
That being said, fans have come to expect fighters with an aesthetic physique, all thanks to pop culture’s depiction of the sport. Although it may not be the rule, some fighters can give bodybuilders a run for their money. And yes, some of them have maintained it even past the involvement of USADA, one of them being former UFC lightweight and current featherweight contender Edson Barboza.
Edson Barboza’s ripped physique is going viral on the internet
Recently, a photo shared by Edson Barboza has gone viral on social media. In the picture, which seems to be from a training session, Barboza can be seen standing next to a heavy bag. But what’s garnering this snap so much social media clout is how jacked the former UFC star looks in these pictures. It’s not just his size but also how ripped and aesthetic that’s causing this awe. What makes this even more special is the Brazilian can maintain this aesthetic even at the age of 37.
A professional fighter since 2009, Barboza has spent over a decade with the UFC. However, despite being a top contender for most of his career, the fighter could never capture the UFC gold. Regardless, the Brazilian remains one of the best strikers to embrace the octagon. Best known for his lethal leg kicks, his lethal stand-up game also earned him the nickname, ‘The Brazilian Bazooka’.
Although he has been struggling recently to maintain a winning streak, ‘Junior’ knocked out Billy Quarantillo in his last UFC appearance. Now, months after this win, Barboza is all set to make his octagon return against Sodiq Yusuff at UFC Fight Night 230. But before this, his pictures are taking the internet by storm. And it looks like fans have some interesting opinions on this.
Fans react to Edson Barboza’s ripped physique before his octagon return
Edson Barboza is just a month shy of making his octagon return. A month before, the fight can be most challenging for fighters as, along with the fight camps, fighters also need to deal with the gruesome weight cut. But despite the struggle, the serious loss of fat leaves the fighters with some seriously ripped aesthetics, and Barboza is no different. But as with most things in MMA, it looks like people have some varying opinions on this. Here are some of the selected comments from Reddit.
As expected, there were some serious steroid accusations.
Steroids, training, and food do their job.
Crazy genetics and a bit of secret juice lol.
The juice mentioned here is not Sunny-D or Tropicana, but the infamous ‘secret’ juice.
A whole lot of juice and 8 hours in the gym a day will do that.
Once again, the spelling mistake is intentional for a reference to the popular PEDs.
Tren hard, eat clen, brotha.
Yes, how can the age-old debate of genetics be missed?
Genetics, he smokes weed and eats In-N-Out all day long if you didn’t know…
Probably PEDs, but even with that, you gotta have top 1% genetics to look like that.
Finally, some serious admiration as well.
Genuinely looks like an AI-generated character.
There are a lot of dudes in the UFC and just MMA in general that have pretty freaky/crazy physiques.
In conclusion, the reactions aren’t any different from anybody revealing their physique on the internet. A barrage of steroid accusations and admiration of genetics. Nevertheless, somebody’s ‘natty status’ can be determined only by proper pathological evidence. Take to the comments and let us know which of these reactions you liked the most.
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