A massive featherweight clash between top-fifteen contenders, ‘Hurricane’ Shane Burgos and Edson ‘Jr.’ Barboza has been booked for UFC 262 on May 15th. — with a location or venue for the event yet to be determined by the promotion.
New York favourite, Burgos looks to rebound from a Fight of the Year contender against Josh Emmett at UFC Vegas 3 last June, dropping a hugely-competitive unanimous decision defeat.
Scoring his first win at 145-pounds in October at UFC Fight Island 5, longtime lightweight contender, Barboza — who recently penned a new multi-fight deal with the UFC, took home an impressive unanimous decision win over common-foe, Makwan Amirkhani. News of the eye-catching matchup was first reported by Combate reporter, Raphael Marinho.
An eight-fight UFC veteran, Bronx finisher, Burgos currently holds an impressive 6-2 promotional record since his debut back in December of 2016 at UFC Fight Night Albany.
Sitting at #12 in the official featherweight pile, Burgos dropped a decision loss to the above mentioned, Emmett in his sole Octagon appearance last year, with his only other Octagon loss coming at the hands of the recently surging, Calvin Kattar a UFC 220 in January of 2018.
With five knockout wins and five submission successes littered on his professional record, the 29-year-old has managed to notch victories over the likes of Tiago Trator, Charles Rosa, Godofredo Pepey, Kurt Holobaugh, Cub Swanson, and the above mentioned Amirkhani — the last of which came via third round knockout at UFC 244 in Madison Square Garden.
35-year-old Nova Friburgo veteran, Barboza made his somewhat surprising drop to 145-pounds after a prolonged period at lightweight at a UFC Fight Night Jacksonville event in May of last year.
Drawing Hawaii’s, Dan Ige, Barboza dropped a contentious split decision loss — coming after another razor-thin split judging rematch defeat to lightweight contender and colour-commentator, Paul Felder at UFC 242 in September of 2019.
Clashing with Amirkhani, Barboza looked razor-sharp in the October outing — scoring a decision win over the grappler to lodge his twenty-first professional victory. An eleven-year Octagon staple, the American Top Team and Anderson Franca trainee has managed to secure triumphs over the likes of Danny Castillo, Evan Dunham, Bobby Green, the above mentioned, Felder, Anthony Pettis, Gilbert Melendez, Beneil Dariush, and Dan Hooker — as well as a highlight-reel, wheel-kick knockout of Terry Etim — the first of which had been scored in the UFC’s history.
