Edson Barboza wants the UFC to right a wrong after what he believes was an unjust loss to Dan Ige at UFC on ESPN 8.
That means paying his win bonus.
Barboza (20-9 MMA, 14-9 UFC) made his featherweight debut on Saturday and went the distance with Ige (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC). The Brazilian seemed to inflict greater damage, dropping his opponent in the first round and landing a crushing knee to the body in the second. The third was the closest round of all, and in the end the judges awarded Ige the split decision with alternating 29-28 scores.
Barboza said he was shocked by the result. His team hoped to appeal, but Florida laws don’t allow it. It’s the second time in a row he’s lost a controversial split decision after Paul Felder won their fight at UFC 242 in September. Although Barboza feels he won both, he said the Ige decision was more outrageous.
“I’m hurt a little bit inside,” Barboza told MMA Junkie on Monday. “I really don’t feel it was a very close decision. I think against Felder I still won the fight clearly, but it was a little more close. This one was not close. I won the first and second round clear, the third round I won four minutes and he won only the last minute by taking me down and do nothing. Definitely I won the fight.”
Most agreed the bout, which took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., should have gone in Ige’s favor. Only two of 18 media outlets on MMADecisions.com scored the fight for Ige, with the other 16 going the way of Barboza.
UFC president Dana White said during the postfight press conference that he scored the bout for Barboza. Combining all of those factors together, Barboza said he should be treated like a winner. That means paying him the win portion of this fight purse that would have come with getting his hand raised.
“Dana White said I won the fight,” Barboza said. “I hope the company comes to me and say, ‘You won the fight’ and give me the check. Everybody knows. The UFC knows, Dana White knows, everybody all over the world knows I won the fight. I wait for the UFC to show me some respect for me and my team and my family.
“I work for the UFC for 10 years. I really love UFC. I respect everybody here. I know this is not the UFC’s fault – it’s the commission’s fault. Dana White said and I know I won, and 99.99999 percent of people say I won the fight. I want UFC to give me my bonus. UFC knows, the president knows, 99 percent of the world knows I won that fight. Now is the time the UFC show me some respect.”
Barboza said he came out of UFC on ESPN 8 with minimal injuries, but intends to rest for the next few days to see if the UFC grants his request for payment. He said the organization’s actions will determine what comes next for him.
After spending 22 fights in the lightweight division, Barboza moved down to 145 pounds for the first time for the matchup with Ige. He said the weight cut was smooth, but it required great discipline. He said he’s not exactly keen to do it again unless his hard work is appreciated.
“I really want to wait the next couple days for the UFC to show me some respect, some love and give me my win money bonus,” Barboza said. “If UFC does nothing, it makes no sense (to stay at featherweight). It was a (expletive) hard time to make weight. Sometimes I do everything right and the company don’t end up showing me some respect or some love. Let’s see what’s going to happen the next couple days. Maybe I fight 145 again. Maybe not. Maybe I go (back to) 155.”
Barboza said his big takeaway from the fight against Ige is that he can push extra hard in the new division. If he did it again, he would force the action even more, but said he was happy with his performance and has no doubts he won. In the end, though, it’s a loss for Barboza and he’s now 1-4 in his past five fights. He has a good case to be 3-2 in that stretch, and he’s hoping UFC will matchmake him as if that’s the case.
“I know I didn’t lose the fight, but at the same time I go to my record and see two Ls,” Barboza said. “It’s not a good feeling inside. I know I won the fight but I see I lost. It’s a crazy feeling. … I hope UFC sends me this week my win bonus, my check and the contract for the next one. I hope UFC gives me a top 10 at the end of the July I’m ready to go. Give me a top 10. I’m ready.”
Edson Barboza wants UFC to pay win bonus for Dan Ige fight: 'Show me some respect'