The always exciting Edson Barboza looked to kick his way past an underrated Beneil Dariush last night (Sat., Mar. 11, 2017) at UFC Fight Night 106 live on FOX Sports 1 from inside Centro de Formacao Olimpica do Nordeste in Fortaleza, Brazil. Their lightweight battle was a back-and-forth affair before the Brazilian put together yet another highlight reel moment.
The opening frame saw a very disruptive Dariush ruin the timing and rhythm of Barboza. Whenever the Brazilian was looking to load up on a kick or combination, Dariush would rush in and land counters and hooks. Barboza was able to land hard body kicks along the way, but had trouble gaining control of the cage and finding his spacing without absorbing damage.
In Round 2, Barboza ran into more trouble, as Dariush continued to have success on the feet. But in a matter of a second, Barboza leaped forward and landed a vicious flying knee that sent Dariush crumbling to the canvas. It was quite the knockout finish, and one that looked as destructive as Barboza’s legendary knockout of Terry Etim.
The full fight video highlights can be seen above courtesy of UFC.
With this win, Barboza moves into position to challenge for a lightweight title in 2017. He’s probably not going to get a crack at current champion Conor McGregor, but he could lock down an interim title fight if things go well. At this point, when he’s on his game, few lightweight strikers can stomach the output of “Junior.”
For complete UFC Fight Night 106 results and coverage click here.
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