No. 5-ranked Edson Barboza met No. 6 Kevin Lee for pivotal positioning in the deeply talented 155-pound title picture in the main event of tonight’s (Sat., April 21, 2018) UFC Fight Night 128 from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
In a dominant showing, Lee showed his complete overall game by hanging with the lethal striker Barboza standing and absolutely dominating him on the ground. Lee’s pace was relentless, his takedowns successful, and his ground position and damage unwavering as he survived a third-round spinning wheel kick to pick up the biggest win of his MMA career.
It was a telling comeback fight for the surging 25-year-old Lee, who answered the questions about his loss to Ferguson and his weight-cutting problems with a resounding reply.
The 25-year-old ‘Motown Phenom’ not surprisingly looked to ground the Brazilian early, securing a textbook double leg in the opening frame:
Lee brings the fight to the mat immediately!@MotownPhenom #UFCAC pic.twitter.com/8BYGRAwG7e
— UFC (@ufc) April 22, 2018
The takedown opened a path for an onslaught of ground shots that continued until the end of the first:
Kevin Lee is POURING it on Barboza here in round 1!!#UFCAC @MotownPhenom pic.twitter.com/jqepn02fkE
— UFC (@ufc) April 22, 2018
Barboza got up from the ground already wearing the damage from Lee’s first-round onslaught:
Barboza wearing it here in round 1
#UFCAC pic.twitter.com/imapp224RX
— UFC (@ufc) April 22, 2018
Lee’s assault continued in the second round as he kept pounding Barboza to the point it seemed the fight would be stopped:
The GnP from @MotownPhenom is devastating! Man, Barboza is tough!!#UFCAC pic.twitter.com/Q4abm4B1NY
— UFC (@ufc) April 22, 2018
But Barboza turned the tide with his trademark spinning wheel kick that had Lee doing the stanky leg, a strike he somehow survived:
OHHHHHHHHHHH Barboza throws a spinning head-kick and it LANDS but Lee survives!!! Wow!! #UFCAC pic.twitter.com/m7qE4z8vRf
— UFC (@ufc) April 22, 2018
Here’s another slow-motion angle of Barboza’s kick:
The kick was PERFECT!#UFCAC pic.twitter.com/lacDaWpiQM
— UFC (@ufc) April 22, 2018
Lee made it through the massive kick and stood and traded with Barboza throughout the later rounds, taking him down and maintaining dominant positions to batter Barboza until the cageside doctors had no choice but to stop the fight, awarding “The Motown Phenom” the biggest win he’s ever scored after he landed 233 strikes.
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