Barboza vs Burgos Booked For UFC 262

It was reported last week that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight contender Edson Barboza had inked a contract extension to remain with the Endeavor-owned mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion for the foreseeable future.

This, after the Brazilian striking sensation stated in 2020 that he was very frustrated with the promotion and even went as far as to ask for his release. In the end, both sides agreed to keep doing business with one another and now “Junior” has his first fight set on his new deal. According to ESPN, Barboza will face off against top 145-pound contender Shane Burgos at the upcoming UFC 262 pay-per-view (PPV) event on May 15, 2021.

A location for the event has yet-to-be determined.

Barboza (No. 14) is coming off a win over Makwan Amirkhani last October, giving him his first victory since 2018, snapping his three fight skid in the process. Two of those losses came in the Lightweight division, with the other going down at Featherweight, which was his debut in the division against Dan Ige.

Burgos (No. 12), meanwhile, was last seen losing to Josh Emmett in June of 2020, snapping his three fight win streak. That defeat was just his second inside the Octagon, giving him a record of 6-2 under the UFC banner. The winner of this matchup definitely takes a closer step in breaking into the Top 10.

Predictions?

While no main event has been scheduled for UFC 262, the event will also feature Antonina Shevchenko taking on Andrea Lee, as well as Alex Perez facing off against Matt Schnell in Flyweight action.