Michael Johnson vs Edson Barboza Highlights (Good FIGHT)

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Michael Johnson faced Edson Barboza on February 22, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 61.

The Ginasio Gigantinho in Porto Alegre, Brazil, was filled to capacity with thousands of eager fans awaiting Barboza’s return to Brazil. But, unfortunately, Barboza, a human highlight reel, wasn’t near his usual fantastical self against Johnson.

This co-main event bout represented a battle for relevancy in the UFC’s crowded lightweight division.

Barboza and Johnson were typically swept under the rug in championship conversations, but they both had an opportunity to make some noise in a primetime slot on Fox Sports 1. A cliff note in history could one day tell of the underestimated importance this fight had in propelling one of the fighters to a UFC title run.

Johnson’s utilization of persistent pressure to negate Barboza’s kick-heavy offense was masterful.

There are plenty of reasons why fighters hate fighting southpaws. In Barboza’s case, the open guard stance eliminated his ability to wrap around his opponent’s lead leg with rear kicks. Instead, he was forced to resort to backpedaling and targeting Johnson’s body.

The fact that Johnson was a southpaw already eliminated one of Barboza’s favorite weapons, but it was Johnson’s ability to constantly press forward that truly eliminated the space needed to throw kicks, thus turning the contest into a boxing match.

Barboza is one of the most talented strikers in the UFC, but he tends to get a bit sloppy in the pocket. It also didn’t help that his back was in the cage throughout the entire fight. Johnson had too much space to work with for Barboza to ever have a chance.

It was the perfect game plan.

Johnson won the bout by unanimous decision.