CHICAGO — Given both fighters’ track records, the UFC on FOX 16 lightweight battle between Edson Barboza and Paul Felder promised excitement.
And excitement was indeed delivered.
The two engaged in a wild dance of spinning strikes, with both fighters seemingly determined to deliver a wild knockout.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX 16 Results | UFC news
In the end, though, Barboza’s a bit more experienced at this level, and showed a bit more poise when it counted most. He earned an across-the-board, 29-28 victory in a fight which wowed the United Center crowd.
“It was a great victory,” said Barboza (16-3), who won for the third time in his past four fights. “He was a very, very tough guy.”
The two started throwing spinning strikes from the outset, which led to an odd exchange in the middle of the opening round. Barboza landed a spinning back fist in which his forearm connected with Felder’s head, Felder, acknowledged it, and they touched gloves. Barboza then landed a nasty spinning back kick to to the groin, which brought the fight to a halt for awhile.
The bout continued, as the two spent two fast-paced rounds trading brutal body kicks and came back for more. Both fighters continued to try to finish the bout with a knockout of the year, and both just missed on several occasions.
Barboza dictated the pace in the final round as Felder (10-1) who proved he can hang at an elite level, couldn’t quite land like he did over the first two rounds.
“I worked hard for this fight,” said Barboza. “He’s very very good, but I train with some of the best in the world.”