Edson Barboza retires from UFC following vision loss

UFC veteran Edson Barboza has announced his retirement following a second-round TKO loss to Esteban Ribovics at UFC 330 in Philadelphia. The 40-year-old fighter revealed that he competed in his final three bouts while suffering from severe vision impairment in his right eye.

The injury occurred during a May 2024 main event fight against Lerone Murphy. Barboza stated that he can no longer see out of that side of his face, describing the sensation as seeing nothing or seeing flashes of light. Despite undergoing two surgeries and being urged by his wife to retire immediately after the Murphy bout, Barboza chose to compete a few more times to assess his condition.

Barboza, who spent nearly 16 years in the UFC with 18 wins and 13 post-fight bonuses, plans to transition into coaching to share his experience with future generations of fighters.