Edson Barboza: Hard to say Khabib is the best, he could lose to anybody in the top 10

With a record of 26-0 and the UFC lightweight world title in his possession, Khabib Nurmagomedov does hold an aura of invincibility. Teammate Daniel Cormier even believes that “The Eagle” could actually retire as an undefeated fighter.

But for other top 155-pound contenders like Edson Barboza, it would only be a matter of time before someone in the division erases that zero on the loss column of Khabib’s record. This is why he is not yet conceding to the idea that 29-year-old Russian fighter is indeed the best lightweight in the game today.

“It’s tough to say who is the best,” Barboza told MMAWeekly. “Sometimes the guy who’s the best isn’t the guy who wins that night and he loses. It’s so hard for me to say one guy is the best. I feel like if you see the top five guys in the UFC, you rank the top five guys, all those guys their level is so high.”

“The level is so high, I believe Khabib could lose to anybody in the top 10 in the lightweight division,” he added. “It’s so hard to say this guy’s the best or this guy is the worst. The guys in the top 10 of the UFC, their level is so high, so it’s all very close.”

Barboza will be entering his upcoming UFC Atlantic City headliner against Kevin Lee fresh off his three-round beating courtesy of Khabib at UFC 219. While he admits that he still feels disappointed about his performance, he is also using it as motivation.

“I was very upset about the fight,” Barboza said. “I was so mad because I was completely dominated by Khabib. Sometimes something happens and it’s not too good.”

“Right now, I’m back to the gym, I’m fixing some stuff and I promise and I guarantee that’s not going to happen again. I work very, very hard, I feel better than ever. I’m more excited than ever because of that loss.”

UFC Atlantic City is scheduled for this Saturday, April 21^st, at the Boardwalk Hall. It will be co-headlined by a featherweight rematch between Frankie Edgar and Cub Swanson.