After 39 professional fights in a career spanning nearly two decades, Edson Barboza rode off into the sunset following his second-round TKO loss to Esteban Ribovics at UFC 330 in August 2026. That defeat also marked the Brazilian’s fourth consecutive loss, making retirement an appropriate decision. Despite having an extensive tenure in the UFC, Barboza couldn’t keep himself away from action for long.

According to MMA Fighting, Edson Barboza is all set to break his UFC retirement and return against Rashid Magomedov on November 13, 2026, in Rio De Janeiro for a battle match under the Absolute Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (ACBJJ) promotion.  

The initial reports indicated that ACBJJ signed the Brazilian legend in early October. However, the promotion has announced his return to action in November, which would mark the end of his retirement just three months after laying down his gloves in August.

But this time, Barboza’s anticipated comeback would happen in a different enclosure than a cage.  

The promotion ACBJJ is mostly known for hosting purely grappling-based matches. But it also features custom-rules matchups called the battle match. It’s still a Brazilian jiu-jitsu contest with an added twist of striking. 

According to ACBJJ’s Battle rules, a fighter can kick, punch, and elbow their opponent. Athletes can perform these maneuvers both standing and on the ground, alongside other permitted submissions. 

The fighters can secure a win by knockout or submission. However, if neither happens, the ACBJJ Battle match uses a hidden scorecard system, judged by a panel of five referees using the 10-point must system, which is similar to MMA.  

For Barboza, it will be the first time he enters a Battle Match. However, the Brazilian veteran previously fought UFC middleweight Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov at Hype Fighting Brazil in March 2026 under submission-only rules that don’t allow striking. The bout ended in a draw.

On the other hand, Rashid Magomedov is a veteran in his own right. The 42-year-old Russian has fought in both the UFC and PFL, and his overall MMA record stands at 26-6-1. Magomedov recently lost to Kuat Khamitov in Combat Jiu-Jitsu, otherwise known as Battle Matches, at ACBJJ 20.

Barboza ending his retirement this early and returning to competition could strike many as surprising. But the 40-year-old had already indicated that he would eventually get back into active competition.

Edson Barboza previously hinted at a comeback after retiring from the UFC 

The Rio de Janeiro native announced his retirement in front of a packed crowd at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. However, the burning desire to compete never left Barboza’s heart.

The 40-year-old mentioned in multiple interviews that eye problems stemming from the Lerone Murphy fight in 2024 ended up derailing his career. Multiple setbacks in the Octagon also contributed to his decision.

Yet the Brazilian fighter’s hunger remained unsatisfied, and he wasn’t timid about sharing his desire. In an interview with Ariel Helwani, the host asked Barboza whether he was actually done. In response, the UFC veteran claimed that his decision to retire could eventually change.

“It’s hard to say that (I’m done) because I’m a fighter,” Barboza said. “I was born to do this. I’ve done anything in my life. My first professional fight was at 16. If you say right now, I say no, I don’t want to fight anymore because, you know, I have a whole camp behind me. But I don’t know in a couple of weeks, you know…”

Barboza ended up considering a comeback. After all, submission, grappling, or wrestling-based promotions have provided aging MMA fighters a spot to still make a career.

Fighters like Urijah Faber, Colby Covington, and others have found a wave of success by clashing in RAF and other promotions. In fact, Zabit Magomedsharipov, who left the UFC years ago, also participated in an ACBJJ event recently. 

The Brazilian veteran, however, chose to compete in a Battle Match where striking is allowed, and a win could open the door to several possibilities. Who knows? Even a potential return to the UFC.