Report: UFC targeting Sean Woodson vs. Edson Barboza for December fight

Edson Barboza (top) of Brazil fights Dan Ige (bottom) of the United States (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

The UFC is targeting a featherweight matchup between the surging Sean Woodson and the No. 15-ranked featherweight competitor Edson Barboza for a future fight card in December sources tell RG.org. Both fighters have signed their bout agreements and are gearing up for a top-15 ranked showdown to close out 2024.

Sean Woodson (12-1-1) has now won five in a row with a split draw against Luis Saldana being his long blemish during his recent stretch of fights. He is coming off a unanimous decision victory against longtime UFC veteran “Bruce Leeroy” Alex Caceres.

That win was the biggest win of his career which has now set him with his first ranked opponent during his UFC journey.

The towering featherweight (6’2”) will be taking on his stiffest competition when he takes on the future Hall of Famer Edson Barboza this December. This will testify to Woodson’s ability to see how much of a legitimate contender Woodson truly is. If he can get past Barboza, the sky is the limit for him in the featherweight division.

Edson Barboza (24-12) has fought the who’s who in both the lightweight and featherweight divisions but has never tasted gold in either nor has he fought for the title however he has come close in his 30-fight UFC career. This is a fighter who’s fought former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, and former UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, and has wins over mainstays in the UFC like Dan Hooker, Paul Felder, Beneil Dariush, and Anthony Pettis.

Barboza won two out of his last three fights but is currently coming off a main event loss against the surging Lerone Murphy who will be taking on Dan Ige in his next as he looks to continue his surge up the featherweight rankings.

Barboza at this stage of his career is a gatekeeper into the top 15 of the featherweight division and he will be looking to maintain his ranking when he takes on Sean Woodson this December.

It doesn’t seem like Barboza will be fighting for a title at this point of his career however, he still will be searching for a win and get back into the win column in this matchup. As for Woodson, he is eyeing the biggest victory of his career which would catapult him into the limelight in the featherweight division.

Expect a high-octane matchup between these two featherweights as they look to bring the calendar to a close with an exciting fight for the fans. Stay tuned as the UFC announces when and where this fight will take place.