Edson Barboza targets December return after UFC main event loss to Giga Chikadze

Edson Barboza wants to course correct his career before the end of the year.

Barboza’s (22-10 MMA, 16-10 UFC) trajectory toward a UFC featherweight title shot took a big blow this past month when he suffered a UFC on ESPN 30 main event loss to Giga Chikadze (14-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC). The Brazilian was stopped by third-round TKO in an entertaining fight that had its competitive moments.

In the immediate aftermath of the loss, Barboza stayed quiet. He did not attend the post-fight press conference, and for several days his social media accounts were dormant.

After taking a little time to digest the result, Barboza has seemingly gathered himself to determine what should be next in his career. It appears he’s settled on a December return to the octagon (via Instagram):

Dezembro? Estou dentro!!!! @ufc_brasil December? I’m in!!! @ufc

Barboza’s loss to Chikadze dropped him to 2-2 since he moved down to the UFC featherweight division from lightweight. It was the first time he’d been stopped at his new weight class, and it derailed Barboza’s momentum toward becoming a viable title contender.

Despite being 35 years old and a member of the UFC roster since November 2010, Barboza’s passion to compete at the top level of the sport still remains.

The American Top Team product did not reveal any particular names he would like to face in his rebound fight, but if his track record is any indication, he’ll want someone who is either ranked or has a reputable name.