Barboza signs with ACBJJ to continue competing after 17-year MMA career ends

Edson Barboza is stepping off the MMA canvas but not out of competition. The Brazilian veteran, who retired from mixed martial arts in August at 24-15, has signed with the Absolute Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the grappling promotion confirmed.

Barboza’s retirement came after a fourth consecutive defeat — a second-round technical knockout loss to Esteban Ribovics at UFC 330 in Philadelphia — which brought the curtain down on a 17-year professional MMA career.

ACBJJ runs gi and no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments, superfights, and mixed grappling events, giving Barboza a structured competitive home as he transitions away from the Octagon. The move is not entirely a leap into the unknown: Barboza had already tested himself on the mats earlier this year, facing UFC middleweight Sharabutdin Magomedov under the Hype FC banner in March, with that contest ending in a draw.

“I did the right choices in this part of my life about investments,” Barboza told MMA Junkie when asked about his future. “But I’m still 40. I’m still young and very excited about the future. I have a lot of things to do in the future. Thank God I did the right choices on the financial side.”

The signing underlines a growing trend of retired MMA fighters pivoting to grappling circuits, where name recognition and striking-era athleticism can still draw audiences. For Barboza — long regarded as one of the most dangerous kickers in UFC history — the challenge now shifts from the cage to the mat.