The two most prominent leg kick practitioners in the sport are expected to collide at UFC Philadelphia when Edson Barboza meets Justin Gaethje.
While Farah Hannoun first reported the pairing, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto added the date of March 30, which is when UFC Philadelphia will take place. The event will be the promotion’s second on ESPN.
Justin Gaethje’s matchmaking in the UFC has been very favorable for fans of the sport, and all four of his fights have delivered on the entertainment front. This trend is more than likely to continue if the promotion follows through on plans to match him up with fearsome striker Edson Barboza.
Of Gaethje’s four fights in the Octagon, three have received Fight of the Night honors. The fourth earned Gaethje a Performance of the Night bonus as he knocked out James Vick with a great right hand in the first round. He has lived up to expectations as a brawler who never fails to get fans on their feet thus far. Prior to joining the UFC, Gaethje was 17-0 with six defenses of the WSOF lightweight title. In addition to his brawling style, Gaethje’s powerful leg kicks have earned him stoppages three times in his career.
Edson Barboza matches Gaethje on the leg kick stoppage front with three of his own. However, two of Barboza’s occurred in the UFC and he also has a TKO due to a body kick on his record. The Brazilian bounced back from a pair of losses to tough wrestlers Khabib Nurmagomedov and Kevin Lee with a prime performance against the surging Dan Hooker. Barboza is 14-6 in the Octagon with seven striking stoppages.
UFC Philadelphia is scheduled for March 30 inside the Wells Fargo Center. A pair of strawweight fights occupies the card currently. Michelle Waterson faces former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz, and the rescheduled bout between Alexa Grasso and Marina Rodriguez will take place.
