Edson Barboza upsets Anthony Pettis with complete striking performance

Edson Barboza is ready for the next level.

After years of being on the cusp of a breakthrough, Barboza showed he belongs with the lightweight elite by soundly outstriking former UFC champion Anthony Pettis. "Showtime" had no answer for Barboza's stinging leg kicks and combinations as he lost a unanimous decision to the rising Brazilian.

The game plan for Pettis was clear as he allowed Barboza to be the aggressor while searching for an opening for one of his trademark kicking techniques. Those openings were few and far between, and while Pettis waited, Barboza was content to destroy the inside of his leg with sword-like kicks.

Pettis' leg looked like a stick of black licorice by the time Barboza was through with him.

Even when Pettis found the space to execute his flashy maneuvers, they rarely found anything but air. It was a listless performance for Pettis, who was looking to avoid the first three-fight losing streak of his career.

Instead, Pettis finds himself on a skid that seemed unlikely as recently as two years ago when he was the UFC's reigning lightweight champion.

For Barboza, he bounces back from a submission loss to Tony Ferguson last December to earn the biggest win of his seven-year career.