UFC 262: Shane Burgos vs Edson Barboza Preview and Prediction

Burgos vs Barboza: Meet the Fighters

Shane “Hurricane” Burgos

UFC 262 will feature Shane Burgos, a fast-rising prospect in the men’s featherweight division, looking to secure his highest-profile win in the UFC. It will not come easy against the seasoned veteran that is Edson Barboza, but if we have seen anything from Burgos in his previous outings, he will show up ready for war.

Coming into this fight, Burgos holds a record of 13-2 (6-2 in UFC), with ten of these wins coming via finish. Shane has become a fan favorite in this division, due to his exciting striking, and never say die attitude. This showed in his fight of the year contender in 2020 against Josh Emmett, although coming up short on the judges’ scorecards.

The only other loss of Shane’s career came to Calvin Kattar, in what was another banger of a fight. Eventually, he would fall via TKO in the third, after the fight was seemingly 1-1 heading into that final round. Burgos has been able to secure some very high caliber wins within the UFC as well, both newcomers and veterans alike.

This list includes the likes of Charles Rosa, Cub Swanson, and Makwan Amirkhani, two of which came by way of TKO. With the proven ability to finish or go the distance, Shane holds the weapons to win the fight anywhere and he will need all of these if he wants to come out on the winning end against Barboza. Should he pick up the victory here, the future will be looking very bright for the 30-year-old New Yorker.

Edson Barboza

One of the most exciting strikers in UFC history returns at UFC 262, looking to stop the young lion in Shane Burgos. Edson Barboza has been there and done that, competing in the UFC since 2010. With a record of 21-9 (15-9 in UFC), not only has Barboza been in the octagon with some of the best fighters in the world, he has beaten them as well.

Edson holds a plethora of notable victories in his career, including a former UFC champion in Anthony Pettis, one half of the UFC 262 co-main event, Beneil Dariush, and top ten lightweight contender, Dan Hooker, just to name a few. The ladder two coming by way of knockout, which is no surprise considering Barboza has 12 such victories in his career. However, anyone with over 20 fights in the UFC is bound to lose here and again, and it is no different in Edson’s case.

Tony Ferguson, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Paul Felder, and Dan Ige. All names that Barboza has gone to war with, but fell short. He has fought some of the greatest fighters the lightweight division has ever seen, plus has begun testing the waters of his new home in the featherweight division. Many believe the loss to Ige could have easily been a victory for Barboza in his debut fight in this weight class.

However, Edson did not wait long to avenge the controversial loss and picked up his first win at 145 pounds against another tough opponent in Makwan Amirkhani. Now looking to make it two straight in the featherweight division and crack into the top ten, Barboza seems more motivated than ever, having just signed a brand new, multi-fight deal with the UFC. As the dollars continue to roll in for the veteran from his new deal, he hopes that the victories will as well and as a result, earn his way to a title fight in this stacked weight class. But, it all starts by going through the Hurricane at UFC 262.

Burgos vs Barboza: Fight Breakdown

This bout has all the makings of a fight of the night contender. Two strikers who are always willing to go to the deep waters, contain knockout power, and are hungry for a victory. Could there be a more perfect recipe for beautiful chaos?

For Burgos, he is a high-volume striker with a variety of different shots he likes to throw. He possesses the power to shut anyone’s lights off, but also the cardio to still present a threat late into the fight as well. However, Shane also holds five submission victories and while only one of those has come in the UFC, the threat is still very relevant. Especially considering the swiss army knife he will stand across the cage from in Barboza.

Edson holds knockout victories by way of punch, head kick, knee, body shot, leg kick, and everything in between. You truly never know what to expect when he steps into the octagon and that is what makes him so beloved by the fans. While his output may not be as high as Burgos, his counter striking is always dangerous and something that his opponent will have to be very cautious of.

Look for this fight to stretch the course of three rounds, with both fighters being able to have their moments. With that said, Shane Burgos is hungry coming off of a loss, in what could have been his launch into the top five. Instead, while fighting a very popular veteran, is still fighting backward in the rankings, which no one wants to do. Because of this, Burgos is locked in and ready to prove he does in fact belong with the elite of the division. 

While Shane will face some adversity here and must stay ready for numerous counter strikes, he will shine bright under the lights. Getting the better of the exchanges, timing his big combinations, and evading the worst of Barboza’s heavy leg kicks. If he can do this, he will come out of UFC 262 with his hand raised and the biggest win of his young career. 

Burgos vs Barboza Prediction: Shane Burgos via Decision

Let us know your predictions for Burgos vs Barboza in the comments below!

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