Edson Barboza turned back the clock earlier tonight (Sat., April 15, 2023) at UFC Kansas City live on ESPN and ESPN+ from inside T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, when the veteran fighter ended Billy Quarantillo with a wild first-round knockout (knee).
This was Quarantillo’s biggest test to date and he did fairly well in the early going. The Contender Series alum had to eat some hard leg kicks but he was dictating the pace and spacing in the co-main event. That’s until Barboza timed a ridiculous knee inside that caught Quarantillo directly on the chin. Quarantillo toppled head first into the fencing. Barboza hesitated and then launched one final punch as the referee stepped in.
Check out the final moments below:
FIRST ROUND KO FOR EDSON BARBOZA #UFCKansasCity pic.twitter.com/w3DpcsX1RZ
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 16, 2023
Barboza, 37, was coming off back-to-back losses to Bryce Mitchell and Giga Chikadze so this was a key win to keep the veteran alive at 145 pounds. The former lightweight contender clearly has a lot left in the tank and remains one of the most dangerous strikers in the game today, which should earn him a top 10 matchup his next time out.
For complete UFC Kansas City results and coverage click here.