MMA Preview – Edson Barboza vs Billy Quarantillo at UFC on ESPN 44
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EDSON BARBOZA VS BILLY QUARANTILLO FACTS
When is UFC on ESPN 44? Saturday 15th April, 2023 - 23:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 44? T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN 44? Click here to buy tickets for UFC on ESPN
What channel is UFC on ESPN 44 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 44? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
EDSON BARBOZA VS BILLY QUARANTILLO LOWDOWN
Edson Barboza (22-11) walks out for his 28th UFC fight. His lightweight chapter was a thrilling one and although he did not creep into title contention, he fought the very best going 14-8 in the division. He stepped down to featherweight in 2020 and got robbed against Dan Ige in a split decision but responded with a unanimous decision over Makwan Amirkhani (2020) and a vintage knockout over Shane Burgos (2021). However, he received a taste of his own medicine getting knocked out by Giga Chikadze (2021) and then got wrestled for three rounds by Bryce Mitchell (2022) earning a dominant unanimous decision.
Billy Quarantillo (17-4) steps up for his biggest fight after the biggest win of his career knocking out Alexander Hernandez. That earnt him a ‘Performance of the Night’ and came after a unanimous decision loss to Burgos (2021) a year prior. Four months before that, he knocked out Gabriel Benitez (2021) so he is already racking up some big names and Barboza would become his prized scalp.
EDSON BARBOZA VS BILLY QUARANTILLO PREDICTION
Barboza is one of the more underappreciated fighters in the UFC. He took on anybody whether they were elite wrestlers at lightweight or up and coming featherweights that do nothing for his career. Quarantillo falls into that bracket and provides another tough fight and Barboza deserves credit just for having the motivation to cut down for him.
He is understandably the underdog especially after his last two performances getting outclassed on the feet and dominated with wrestling again. Quarantillo is well rounded and will feel confident having his wrestling in the back pocket.
We can see him testing his stand-up skills here against the striking legend knowing he is on the decline. However, that will be a terrible game plan as the Brazilian is still an assassin on the feet. He still has the best kicks in the division and his hands are lethal.
While this stays on the feet, Barboza will disable Quarantillo with leg kicks and target the liver with his hooks. However, the more Quarantillo wrestles the more chance he has. Barboza has exceptional takedown defence – 75% which is phenomenal considering the opponents he has faced.
We expect him to get taken down at some point, but he still has the skills to spring back up and unleash his weaponry. A vintage knockout would be a surprise, but he still has enough in the tank to earn the dub.
Prediction: Barboza via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value bet: Barboza to win
