Issue 099
March 2013
Brazilian striker Edson Barboza’s spinning wheel kick knockout of Terry Etim was not only a Fighters Only's Knockout of the Year for 2012, it was also one of the most spectacular finishes in the history of mixed martial arts.
When Brazilian lightweight Edson Barboza stepped into the cage for his UFC 142 bout with English scrapper Terry Etim there was a palpable buzz inside Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena. After all, Barboza had in previous bouts already pocketed two UFC ‘Fight of the Night’ bonuses, and his penchant for devastating striking attacks had his countrymen whipped into a frenzy.
The fight appeared on paper to be a classic striker vs grappler matchup, but Barboza said he didn’t enter the fight intent on making sure it was a stand-up battle.
“In an MMA fight, I don’t think about trying to keep the fight on the ground or standing,” Barboza tells Fighters Only through an interpreter. “I was just happy because I had a fight, and I got a chance to do my work.”
Still, Barboza’s previous UFC outings had proven his worth as a Muay Thai wrecking machine, and the Brazilian crowd was hoping to see something spectacular in the striking game. But no matter what fans had imagined Barboza might possibly do, there’s simply no way they could have predicted what was about to come.
Barboza and Etim duked it out on the feet for 10 minutes in what was largely a moderate-paced kickboxing fight, that had ebbed one way and then the next. But Barboza saved something special for the third and final round.
“I was feeling very well during the fight because he was not connecting good shots while I was working my game,” Barboza recalls. “When I threw that kick, the way it connected, I realised right away that the fight was over.”
‘That kick’ was a spectacular spinning wheel kick that landed flush on Etim’s jaw and left the British lightweight unconscious long before he hit the floor. Barboza didn’t even bother to step forward as referee Josh Rosenthal rushed in to ensure Etim’s safety.
UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan called the strike “one of the most spectacular kick knockouts we’ve ever seen inside the Octagon,” and the result instantly secured Barboza a spot on every MMA fan’s ‘Knockout of the Year’ list. Not surprisingly, the 26-year-old would ultimately prove to be a landslide winner in earning the Fighters Only World MMA Awards prize.
Barboza, who celebrated by simply kneeling in the centre of the Octagon following the spectacular finish, said he was thrilled with the win but never expected for the move to be singled out as 2012’s best knockout.
“I felt great at that moment because I knew I had won the fight,” he says. “I didn’t realise it would be able to be considered one of the best knockouts of the year because, as a lover of MMA, I know we have seen many other amazing knockouts, as well. MMA is just such an amazing sport.
“Just to be nominated for ‘Knockout of the Year’ was already an honour to me. Actually winning this award means to me a great honour. This is the result of great work done by my whole team for a long time. It’s just amazing.”
Barboza’s wheel-kick knockout was the first in UFC history. Similar to the way 2011’s World MMA Awards ‘Knockout of the Year’ allowed Anderson Silva to usher in the front kick to the face as a viable technique in the cage, one can’t help but notice the number of fighters now willing to throw the spinning wheel kick inside the Octagon. None, of course, have been able to deliver it with such stunning effectiveness, but Barboza said he’s happy to have brought another technique to MMA consciousness.
He says: “I’ve been noticing that a lot of fighters have been trying that kick in the cage. I don’t know if ‘proud’ is the best word to describe how I feel about that; I think I feel happy because I know we will be able to see more techniques and great knockouts like that one in the future.”
Following his ‘Knockout of the Year’ performance, Barboza had a setback against Jamie Varner, but he was due to return to arms back home in Brazil on January’s UFC on FX 7 card in Sao Paulo. And fans can only imagine what the award-winner has planned next.
“Fighting in Brazil is different because I am able to feel the energy from my friends and family,” Barboza adds. “It’s awesome. I have been living in the US for four years, so when I get a chance to go to Brazil to do what I love and also to be able to see my family and friends, it’s really amazing.”
Of course, fight fans will undoubtedly expect something spectacular from the seasoned striker. However, Barboza insists there are no expectations to step outside of his comfort zone. Instead, he hopes to continue doing what has worked this far, and hopefully more highlights will come. “There is no pressure to do something else spectacular, but I am working hard to always do a good job for my fans,” he finishes.
