COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – Edson Barboza thinks it’s time he got a crack at the upper echelon of the UFC featherweight division.
Since dropping a controversial split decision to Dan Ige in his featherweight debut, Barboza (22-9 MMA, 16-9 UFC) has battered Makwan Amirkhani, followed by a knockout of Shane Burgos at UFC 262.
But with most of the top-five featherweights already booked up, there’s only one available fighter for Barboza to face.
“I deserve a top five,” Barboza told MMA Junkie. “I think only Calvin Kattar doesn’t have a fight in the top five. Yeah, only him. I really, really want to fight a top five, I really believe I deserve to fight a top five.”
With Kattar (22-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) currently taking some time off after his lopsided loss to former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway in January, his timeline might not line up with Barboza, who’s targeting a return in early fall.
So if Barboza doesn’t get Kattar, he’s planning on staying ready as a backup for the UFC Fight Night July 17 headliner between Holloway (22-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) and Yair Rodriguez (13-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC).
“It’s funny because my social media people were tagging me saying ‘Bro, stay ready because I know Yair is gonna be out of the fight,’” Barboza said. “But I hope he doesn’t get out. I hope he has a good camp and fights Holloway. I’m back to training and of course there’s still damage on my shin, my foot still hurt a little bit, (I’m) very light to keep my weight down, and I don’t need much time to get to 100 percent to fight.”