Edson Barboza vs Billy Quarantillo: UFC Fight Night Odds, Prediction

Barboza has been idle since suffering a three-round unanimous decision loss to Bryce Mitchell at UFC 272 in March 2022, and has now fallen to defeat in three of his five octagon appearances as a featherweight. Quarantillo is coming off an impressive second-round TKO win over Alexander Hernandez last December at UFC 282, but has failed to claim consecutive victories in four outings since September 2020.

Quarantillo’s recent success has helped him get an edge on the UFC Kansas City odds, where he has emerged as a 180 favourite. Barboza lags a +140 bet to earn his first win in two years, while the odds of this fight going the distance are pegged at a lengthy +101.

Edson Barboza UFC Fight Night Odds

A Muay Thai practitioner since childhood, Barboza joined the UFC in 2010 after enjoying a successful kickboxing career, during which he compiled an impressive 25-3 record. However, success has not come quite so easy in the octagon for the 37-year-old Brazilian. With his recent losses to Mitchell last year, and to Giga Chikadze in his previous fight in August 2021, Barboza has now lost seven of his past 10 overall contests.

Barboza absorbed a lot of punishment in his two recent defeats, with opponents outstriking him by a combined 2-1 margin. However, the question remains as to whether he will be able to withstand what is likely to be a massive onslaught of punches from Quarantillo in Saturday’s clash. Barboza has also struggled with level changes of late. In addition to being knocked down three times over his past two fights, Barboza also spent most of his three rounds against Mitchell being controlled on the mat. That is a circumstance he must avoid if he is to prevent himself from losing three in a row for the second time since 2019.

Billy Quarantillo Fight Night Odds

Billy Quarantillo enjoyed an impressive debut in the UFC, earning his contract with a third-round TKO over Kamuela Kirk in Dana White’s Contender Series 21. He followed that up with victories in his first three octagon appearances. Wins have been harder to come by since then as he has faced tougher opponents and has gone just 2-2 over his past four outings, but the 30-year-old American has not looked out of place.

Greater success with level changes may have made the difference in his narrow unanimous decision loss to Shane Burgos at UFC 268, and while level changes emerged as a real problem in his date with Gavin Tucker at UFC 256, he more than held his own when fighting on his feet is his unanimous decision defeat.

UFC Fight Night Prediction: Edson Barboza vs Billy Quarantillo

If Edson Barboza has proven anything over his long UFC career, it is his ability to take a punch, and lots of them. Expect Billy Quarantillo to accommodate with heavy diet of fists, but it will be Quarantillo’s ability to bring things to the mat that will ultimately give him the edge he needs to finish the fight.

Prediction: Billy Quarantillo to win in Round 2 (+525)