Barboza ends UFC retirement to face Magomedov in full-contact ACBJJ battle match

Edson Barboza is coming out of retirement less than three months after walking away from the UFC, set to face Rashid Magomedov in a ‘battle match’ at ACBJJ 23 in Rio de Janeiro on November 13.

The 40-year-old Brazilian had already dipped back into competition this year through grappling events, but his booking at ACBJJ 23 marks his first outing involving strikes since his MMA retirement. Under the ACBJJ battle match ruleset, competitors are permitted to use punches, kicks — including the stomping kick — elbows, knees, and headbutts both standing and on the ground, as well as all submission and choke holds. The only restriction is that strikes above the collarbone are prohibited.

Barboza retired from MMA in August following a second-round TKO loss to Esteban Ribovics, a result that extended his losing streak to four consecutive defeats inside the UFC. Magomedov, his opponent on November 13, went 5-1 during his own UFC stint between 2014 and 2017 and has since compiled a 6-4-1 record with one no-contest across PFL and ACA.

The card is headlined by a rematch between former UFC fighter Rousimar Palhares and Andre Galvao, revisiting their memorable ADCC 2011 clash under the same battle match rules. The co-main event pairs UFC veterans Rodolfo Vieira and Kelvin Gastelum in a no-gi match.

The wider line-up draws heavily from MMA, with Phil Rowe, Gleison Tibau, Rinat Fakhretdinov, Antonio Carlos Junior, and others also scheduled to compete across battle match, no-gi, and jiu-jitsu bouts.