Edson Barboza

Without a doubt, Edson Barboza has the fastest kicks in MMA. The only reason he hasn’t been given a title shot yet is because of his 18-4 record. It is certainly not bad, but the Lightweight division in UFC is the most competitive weight division. On the right night, the guy could probably beat anyone at his weight but he just keeps taking key losses.

Barboza has been improving game after game. The Cerrone loss showed he needed to improve his striking defense, he showed improved head movement and parrying in his next few bouts. The Michael Johnson loss showed he needed to learn how to circle off the cage and handle pressure fighters, he showed improved footwork in his next bout against Felder and was doing well against Ferguson, but ‘El Cucuy’ is just relentless. Barboza executed some great kicks against Ferguson but ultimately lost out.

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The leg kick is one of the most underutilized techniques in MMA today. Many fighters use it, but few use it as a main weapon of their arsenal and Barboza’s execution of the kick is perfect. Jose Aldo is another fighter with a complete mastery of the kick. Barboza will be remembered for his low kicks and his flying wheel knockout of Terry Etim and Njoukani, but he has substantial flaws in his game, which at times makes him more vulnerable. He has improved much and his win over Anthony Pettis proves that.

And for the record, Barboza is the only UFC fighter to earn head, body and leg kick TKO’s. That shows his prowess as a kicker.

One of the greatest kicks in UFC history, by Edson Barboza. It is beautiful. You can watch it here: