Edson Barboza added another spectacular knockout to his highlight reel when he crumpled Beneil Dariush in the second round with a flying knee at UFC Fight Night 106.
Winning in style, Barboza immediately called out the top-ranked Tony Ferguson, who was supposed to collide with Khabib Nurmagomedov for the interim lightweight title at UFC 209.
‘The Eagle’ pulled out of that fight due to a bad weight cut which left him hospitalized, leaving Ferguson without an opponent.
“Imagine it, guys,” Ferguson said of a potential rematch with ‘El Cucuy’, per Dan Stupp and Fernanda Prates of MMA Junkie. “Me and Ferguson, five rounds? That’d be crazy, guys. Please UFC, give me a chance.”
Barboza and Ferguson squared off at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale, with both men trading back-and-forth in a pulsating bout at Las Vegas’ Cosmopolitan venue in 2015. It was Ferguson, though, who emerged victorious, submitting the No. 5 ranked Barboza with a D’Arce choke in the second round.
Barboza, who scored his third straight win at UFC Fight Night Fortaleza, would like to fight Ferguson for the interim belt given Nurmagomedov’s situation and Conor McGregor’s temporary absence from the lightweight division.
“I think I deserve the title shot,” he said. “I’ve been in the UFC for a long time. I’ve got really good wins in my last three fights. I’m ready to fight five rounds. I can’t wait, man. I’m very excited to fight five rounds. I hope the UFC gives me a chance.”
Ferguson, a winner of nine straight, called out ‘The Notorious’ after his cancelled bout at UFC 209 but the Irishman is currently pursuing a boxing showdown against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
It’s unknown what the UFC’s plans are for the 155-pound division, but there’s no denying that Ferguson vs. Barboza II would make for a fantastic rematch.
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