Edson Barboza has stated that Kevin Lee was the physically strongest opponent he ever faced, describing how Lee simply lifted and slammed him to the mat when Barboza was confident he would not be taken down. By contrast, Barboza said Khabib Nurmagomedov relied on superior technique, always staying one step ahead, while Barboza was more concerned about submissions than strikes when facing him. Barboza also revealed he entered his fight with Khabib just five weeks after shoulder surgery, having had no training camp at all.
Edson Barboza has offered a candid comparison of two of the most formidable opponents he faced during his lightweight career, singling out Kevin Lee as the physically strongest man he ever shared the cage with — and placing Khabib Nurmagomedov in a separate category defined by technical mastery rather than raw power.
Barboza, now 40 years old, holds a professional record of 24-14 and has competed at the highest level of the lightweight division for well over a decade. Fighting out of American Top Team, the Brazilian carries a 75-inch reach and averages 4.14 significant strikes landed per minute across his career. He has faced a who's who of the division, which makes his fighter-by-fighter assessments carry genuine weight.
On Lee, Barboza described a moment that surprised him completely: when he was certain a takedown could not happen, Lee simply lifted and deposited him on the mat. That kind of brute physicality, Barboza indicated, was unlike anything else he encountered in competition.
His recollection of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the undefeated Russian who retired at 29-0, was notably different. Rather than overwhelming force, Barboza described an opponent who was perpetually one step ahead, making the fight feel more like a chess match. Barboza added that his primary concern against Khabib was not being finished by strikes but being submitted, a telling detail given Khabib's average of 5.32 takedowns per 15 minutes throughout his career.
Why it matters
- Barboza disclosed he entered the Khabib fight just five weeks removed from shoulder surgery with no training camp, adding important context to that performance.
- The comparison highlights how elite grapplers can threaten with entirely different weapons — power versus precision — and how fighters must prepare for both.
- Barboza's insight speaks to the varied physical demands of competing in one of the UFC's deepest divisions.
