33-Fight UFC Veteran Sends Message to Fans After Announcing Retirement

After leaving his gloves in the Octagon at UFC 330, one of the UFC’s longest-tenured veterans has confirmed his retirement with a heartfelt message to fans.

Featuring a total of 12 scheduled fights, UFC 330 closed out with Islam Makhachev’s first welterweight title defense against Ian Machado Garry, which saw Makhachev set the record for consecutive UFC wins with 17.

Mackenzie Dern also defended her strawweight belt in the co-main event when she defeated Gillian Robertson, and those were the only two fights on the UFC 330 main card that ended up going to the judges’ scorecards.

UFC 330 Main Card Opened With Edson Barboza vs. Esteban Ribovics

Jalin Turner and Dustin Stoltzfus secured “Performance of the Night” bonuses for their respective finishes on the UFC 330 main card, which opened with a lightweight matchup featuring Esteban Ribovics and Edson Barboza.

Edson Barboza (red gloves) fights against Esteban Ribovics (blue gloves) in the lightweight bout during UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Competing in his 39th professional MMA bout and 33rd fight with the UFC, Barboza was asked about the possibility of retirement during fight week for UFC 330 and admitted that the bout at Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena could potentially be his last one.

The Brazilian showed off some incredible toughness against the heavily-favored Ribovics before he was eventually stopped in the second round. Immediately following the loss, Barboza left his gloves in the cage and was given a post-fight interview to announce his retirement.

Edson Barboza Confirms Retirement With Message to Fans

Longtime MMA fans know that fighter retirements rarely stick, but for now it looks like Barboza is content to walk away after a lengthy career where he was firmly established as one of the most consistently entertaining fighters on the UFC roster.

“After a lifetime dedicated to fighting, one chapter comes to an end. Thirty-two years of giving it my all, more than 100 fights throughout my career, countless sacrifices, discipline, and moments that will forever be part of history. The fighter says goodbye to the Octagon, but fighting will always be a part of who I am. Thank you to everyone who cheered for me and was part of this journey! The fight goes on — just in a different way now.”

"Junior" Secured One of the UFC's Greatest Knockouts in 2012

Following a 6-0 start to his professional MMA career, Barboza joined the UFC in 2010 and stopped Mike Lullo with leg kicks before securing post-fight bonuses for each of his next three victories in the promotion.

Edson Barboza during weigh ins for UFC 319 at Radius Chicago. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Barboza’s run in the UFC lightweight division saw him meet former and future titleholders Tony Ferguson, Anthony Pettis, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Justin Gaethje, and he also competed eight times in the featherweight division from 2020 to 2024.

Edson Barboza (red gloves) fights Drakkar Klose (blue gloves) during UFC 319 at United Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A loss to Lerone Murphy in a UFC Fight Night main event encouraged “Junior” to return to lightweight, where he dropped a decision to Drakkar Klose and was stopped by fellow UFC 330 fighter Turner before falling to Ribovics at UFC 330.

Jeremiah Wells Delivered Retirement Ultimatum After UFC 330 Upset

While Barboza was the only fighter at UFC 330 to fully commit to retirement, the event may also have featured the last fight for UFC welterweight veteran Jeremiah Wells.

Jeremiah Wells (red gloves) reacts after defeating Myktybek Orolbai (blue gloves) during UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Competing in the very first fight of the night against Myktybek Orolbai, Wells locked up a ninja choke in the final round to put Orolbai to sleep and secure one of the biggest upsets in UFC history in terms of the pre-fight betting odds.

Jeremiah Wells (red gloves) fights against Myktybek Orolbai (blue gloves) during UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Speaking to Joe Rogan during his post-fight interview, Wells indicated that he would likely retire if his next fight doesn’t come against someone ranked in the UFC’s welterweight Top 15.

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