The way this fight ends feels like it was written for a Hollywood MMA movie, with Barboza cast as the underdog hero and Etim the villain. That wasn’t actually the case, of course, but it plays that way if you really think about it.
For the first two rounds, Barboza and Etim ran fairly level, neither man garnering a real advantage in their back-and-forth kickboxing match. Etim was the slightly bigger, more imposing figure, while Barboza was the young, ascending talent in need of a signature moment… and boy did he get it.
Watch The KO On UFC Fight Pass
After nearly three minutes of continued give and take, Barboza attacked with what would become one of his signature combinations — a jab to the body, right hand up top, and a chopping kick to the quad — before taking a step back towards the center of the Octagon. Etim stepped forward, Barboza spun, and his foot slammed into the side of the Liverpool man’s head, ending the fight in a flash.
It was the kind of finishing sequence Hollywood would script for its David versus Goliath tale set in the world of MMA, only it was real, and it was incredible, and remains that way all these years later.
