Edson Barboza has revealed that Kevin Lee, not Khabib Nurmagomedov, was the physically strongest opponent of his career, recalling that Lee simply lifted and slammed him despite Barboza being confident he wouldn't be taken down. Barboza described Khabib as a technical master rather than a raw powerhouse, saying he feared submissions rather than strikes in that fight and considers it a loss he views almost as a victory given he went all three rounds without a full training camp due to shoulder surgery. He also reflected on his knockout loss to Justin Gaethje, saying he failed to follow the game plan by moving left into Gaethje's right overhand, and that he never actually felt Gaethje was the hardest puncher he faced — he simply didn't see the punch coming.
