UFC Philadelphia | Edson Barboza not afraid to trade leg kicks with Justin Gaethje

Edson Barboza and Justin Gaethje, who will collide in the main event of UFC Philadelphia this weekend, are revered as two of the most ferocious leg kickers in MMA.

Yet in the opinion of Barboza, there is simply no comparison.

“A lot of guys don’t talk about that,” Barboza told MMA Fighting ahead of UFC Philadelphia. “because I come from Muay Thai. Everybody tried to finish me with a leg kick, but nobody finished me yet with a leg kick. You can say whatever you want.

“I have two finishes in the UFC with leg kicks. He doesn’t have any finishes in the UFC with the leg kicks. It’s different. You see my style and his style, it’s very different. His leg kicks work well too, he’s a great fighter, but definitely I don’t have only the leg kicks. I have finishes with body kicks, I have finishes with high kicks. I’m definitely the best kicker in the game.”

Edson Barboza then took it a step further, daring Justin Gaethje to unleash the full force of his leg kicks.

“I don’t worry about the damage,” added Barboza. “If I thought about the damage, I’d go to be a doctor or, I don’t know, do something different. I’m a fighter. This is my whole life. I’ve [been taking] damage my whole life. I’m a Muay Thai fighter. I think I’ve had close to 1,000 stitches in my face. I’m definitely not worried about the damage. A couple years ago I remember I had my fights against Tony Ferguson and Paul Felder, [they were in conversations for] fights of the year. I have them too. That makes me very excited.

“I’m ready for pain, 25 minutes.”

Who do you think will come out on top when Edson Barboza and Justin Gaethje battle at UFC Philadelphia?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 3/28/2019.