Edson Barboza picked up his second big win in a row last night (Sat., July 23, 2016) in the co-main event of UFC on FOX 20 in Chicago, Illinois; defeating Gilbert Melendez via unanimous decision.
Prior to that, the Brazilian striker put on a clinic against former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, putting him at two-for-two against former title holders.
And he beat both men with outstanding standup efforts, utilizing his precise timing, punches and most importantly, his ever-impressive kicks. As he did during his bout against "El Nino," Edson constantly peppered his foes legs, forcing him to crumble on more than one occasion.
When you think of Barboza, you think of masterful leg kicks.
Now, the striking specialist is ready for the spotlight. While he stopped short of asking for a shot at the 155-pound title -- which is currently in the grasp of his teammate Eddie Alvarez -- Edson wants to be the headlining act for his next outing.
And he deserves it, too, as few can say they have wins over both Pettis and Melendez, In fact the only other person who can lay claim to that is the aforementioned Alvarez.
As for who he should take on next, perhaps a showdown against fellow Brazilian and former world champion, Rafael dos Anjos, is in order.
Sure, "RDA" is coming off a loss, but the rest of the men in front him in the official official UFC rankings have plans all their own. Nate Diaz (4), is currently tied up at Welterweight and is set to try and settle his business with Conor McGregor at UFC 202.
Donald Cerrone (5), who has a win over Edson, is also trying his luck at 170 pounds and is set to face Rick Story at the same pay-per-view (PPV) event on Aug., 20, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
As for Khabib Nurmagomedov (1) and Tony Ferguson (3), they appear to be headed toward a No. 1 contender bout to see who gets first dibs against Alvarez. When it's all said and done, the only logical foe for Edson is one against the No. 2 guy, dos Anjos.
Anyone disagree?
For more UFC on FOX 20 results and analysis click here.