With win over Castillo, Barboza won’t talk way to belt – but still has title aspirations

It’s an interesting dilemma, Edson Barboza will grant us that.

Regarded as one of the lightweight division’s top strikers, Barboza also is the owner of one of the UFC’s all-time highlight-reel finishes – a spinning wheel kick knockout of Terry Etim that was “Knockout of the Night,” “Knockout of the Year,” Knockout of the Holy-Crap-Did-That-Just-Happen? It’s a kick that has had opponents and potential opponents in fear of a reprisal for nearly two years – including Danny Castillo (16-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC), who fights Barboza (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) tonight at UFC on FOX 9.

Castillo has been thinking about that wheel kick, and would love to get out of the fight with Barboza without that spinning bit of insanity coming in his direction.

But where it gets interesting, the Barboza-Castillo fight, is that as feared of a striker as Barboza can be, Castillo has been working under the tutelage of Duane “Bang” Ludwig at Sacramento’s Team Alpha Male, and Ludwig is a legendary striker, himself – and one Barboza has studied.

“I’m very familiar with his striking, as I used to watch him since he was in the K-1 world MAX tournament,” Barboza told MMAjunkie. “I can only say that I’m ready, although no one knows what will happen when I face Castillo. Maybe I’ll take him down. This is MMA, after all. He’ll provide me an opening, whether on the feet or on the ground, and I’ll work to exploit that.”

Barboza said it’s because he trains to be well-rounded that he hopes to be able to handle things if it turns into a boxing match, into a wrestling match, into a jiu-jitsu exhibition.

“Castillo is obviously an excellent fighter who comes from an excellent team,” he said. “(But) I’m well-trained and I hope for a great fight. I am prepared. I don’t just fight in one discipline. I am ready to fight in true mixed martial arts. Wherever the fight goes, I’ll be ready.”

After taking kickboxing classes in Brazil as a child, Barboza fell under the tutelage of Marcio Monnerat. He then started training with Anderson Franca, where he became friends with Marlon Moraes.

Now Barboza considers Moraes his brother, saying that the two of them have “been on the same path since the start.”

Moraes was essentially unheralded until he upset former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres at the first World Series of Fighting card more than a year ago. He’s now 4-0 for WSOF and has some major title hopes when not running Valor MMA Gym in Florida with Barboza.

Barboza said he’ll curb his own title talk – but does acknowledge it’s fun to think about going after a UFC belt while Moraes is chasing a title in WSOF.

“I think that would be great,” he said. “Marlon and I are brothers. I can’t say enough good things about him. I’m also a big fan of his work, of his technique. And I do believe we both have the ability to capture championship belts in our organizations.”

But first up, Barboza has to get through Castillo tonight at UFC on FOX 9, which takes place in Castillo’s home training city of Sacramento. Their fight on the prelims airs on FOX Sports 1 ahead of the main card on FOX.

Barboza is a 3-to-1 favorite in the fight, going after his third in a row after a major upset loss to Jamie Varner a year and a half ago. Castillo also is chasing his third straight.

Barboza said he’s not thinking about streaks, not thinking about odds, not thinking about the potential to get into title consideration. He’s an Honorable Mention in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA lightweight rankings, and a win has the potential to catapult him into the Top 15. But he’s not thinking about that, either.

“I sincerely am only thinking about facing Danny Castillo,” he said. “God willing, I’ll get another victory, and after the fight, we can think about the future. It’s not my style to talk my way into a fight. I don’t have anyone in particular that I’d like to fight next. I’ll simply be ready for whoever the UFC chooses for me.”

For the latest on UFC on FOX 9, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.