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MMA Preview: UFC on ESPN 44 – Edson Barboza (22-11) vs Billy Quarantillo (17-4)

Edson Barboza vs. Billy Quarantillo is the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 44 a.k.a. UFC Kansas City, which is scheduled for Saturday, April 15

Edson Barboza’s recent record looks very bad, but the Brazilian featherweight is trying to make himself relevant again. He’ll achieve that if he beats Billy Quarantillo on Saturday. Unfortunately for him, bookmakers don’t think that’s going to happen.

Edson Barboza vs. Billy Quarantillo Odds

MoneylineOdds
Edson Barboza+145
Billy Quarantillo-175

*Odds taken from Sports Odds Direct on Friday, April 14, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

  • Place: T-Mobile Arena in Kansas City, Missouri
  • Date: Saturday, April 15, 2023
  • Time: ~10:00 PM ET
  • How to Watch: ESPN 2 / ESPN+

Edson Barboza’s Chance to Resurrect His UFC Career

The 37-year-old fighter is 22-11 in his professional career, but seven of those losses happened in his last 10 fights. Plus, he’s coming off two straight defeats. Knowing this, it seems that if he doesn’t improve his record, his UFC story could come to an end.

His recent record might be poor, but the fact is that this guy has fought against the UFC elite, which explains why he lost so many fights. Among the fighters he lost to are Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje. Both of those losses happened at the time when Barboza was fighting in the lightweight division. Since 2020, he’s been fighting in the featherweight division and is 2-3 in his weight class.

His losses happened to Dan Ige (split decision) Giga Chikadze (TKO), and Bryce Mitchell (unanimous decision). He could’ve won against Ige, while Chikadze absolutely destroyed him. In the fight against Mitchell, Barboza got out-wrestled – his opponent took him down four times.

Reasons Why Billy Quarantillo is the Favorite

Billy Quarantillo is a -175 favorite which is no surprise given that he’s 17-4 in his professional career. Further, only one of his four losses happened inside the distance. And it happened seven years ago.

This guy is a well-rounded fighter who knows how to avoid getting punched/kicked. That said, he looks capable of dealing with Barboza’s strongest weapon, which is striking.

One thing that doesn’t go in his favor is that he just doesn’t have too much experience fighting at a top level. The Dana White Contender Series alumnus has fought seven UFC fights, but he’s never taken on such an experienced rival as Barboza.

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