UFC 262 will see a scintillating featherweight clash between Shane Burgos and Edson Barboza go down on the PPV’s main card. Both fighters will be determined to catapult to the upper echelon of the 145 lbs division with a win.
The Brazilian, Barboza, earned a decision win against Makwan Amirkhani in his last outing. The 35-year-old broke his three-fight skid with that win. A UFC veteran since 2010, Barboza will make his 25th appearance inside the Octagon this weekend against Burgos. The former lightweight fighter has racked up 15 wins during his UFC stint.
Meanwhile, Burgos is coming off a decision defeat against Josh Emmett in his last fight. A stoppage over Makwan Amirkhani was his last triumph inside the Octagon. Losses to Calvin Kattar and Emmett have been the only defeats in his 8-fight long UFC career. Burgos has a professional record of 13-2 with 10 (5 T/KO and 5 submissions) finishes.
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Also read: UFC 262- Charles Oliveira vs Michael Chandler: Prediction and Analysis
Barboza has a record of 21-9 with 13 (12 T/KO and 1 submission) finishes under his resume. Wins over Dan Hooker, Beneil Dariush, Anthony Pettis, Gilbert Melendez, and more are the highlights of his UFC career so far.
Shane Burgos vs Edson Barboza: Analysis
‘Hurricane‘ is an excellent fighter with great kicks. Also, his durability was on display in his last fight. He went on a war against Emmett and took several clean shots to the chin. However, he laughed them off.
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Barboza is one of the most decorated strikers in the entire UFC roster. His vicious kicks are something his opponents have to respect. Barboza should get off to a strong start and should win the first round. However, as shown in his fight against Amirkhani, the 35-year-old might slow down in the later rounds.
The fight should be a close one. Barboza should sneak the first rounds in his favor. But he might get dominated in the third and have a 10-8 scorecard against him. We might have a draw on our hands in a back-and-forth contest.
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Final Prediction: Draw on judges’ scorecards after a three-round war.