Edson Barboza has signed with the grappling promotion ACBJJ, which announced the deal, about two months after he retired from MMA. The Brazilian called time on his UFC career in August following a fourth consecutive loss at UFC 330, having competed 33 times in the Octagon. The 40-year-old recently tested himself under a grappling-only ruleset, going to a draw with Shara Magomedov at Hype FC earlier this year.
Edson Barboza has a new competitive home in grappling. The grappling promotion ACBJJ announced that it has signed the Brazilian, roughly two months after he retired from MMA.
Barboza, 40, ended his UFC career in August following a fourth consecutive loss at UFC 330. The defeat closed out a run of 33 appearances inside the Octagon. He finishes his MMA career with a record of 24-15.
Known as "Junior," Barboza fought out of American Top Team and competed as an orthodox striker. At five-foot-eleven with a 75-inch reach, he built his reputation on volume and precision on the feet, landing 4.15 significant strikes per minute at 44 percent accuracy. Grappling was never the centerpiece of his game. He averaged 0.42 takedowns and 0.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
That makes the move to a grappling-only promotion an intriguing one, though not an untested one. Earlier this year Barboza competed under a grappling-only ruleset at Hype FC, where he went to a draw with Shara Magomedov. That outing appears to have shown he can hold his own in the discipline well after his prime as a striker.
Why it matters
- Barboza stays active in competition without the physical toll of MMA, a path some veteran strikers have explored after leaving the cage.
- The signing gives ACBJJ a recognizable name from the UFC ranks, drawing MMA fans who followed his 33-fight run in the Octagon.
- His draw with Magomedov suggests he is a credible, if unconventional, addition to a grappling card rather than a novelty act.
No details of his debut opponent or date for his first ACBJJ appearance were part of the announcement.
