UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw earned the respect of Renan Barao and his Nova Uniao teammates at UFC 173.
But that doesn’t mean the former UFC champ and his crew lack confidence heading into the Dillashaw vs. Barao sequel at UFC on Fox 16 in Chicago Saturday, June 25.
Despite losing via fifth-round TKO to Dillashaw in 2014, Barao and his camp feel Dillashaw doesn’t pose a serious threat in the power department.
“It’s going to be a tough fight, of course,” said Nova Uniao’s Johnny Eduardo, UFC bantamweight and training partner to Barao, in a recent “UFC Embedded” video. “But I think TJ is not as strong as he looks. He has hands like a Barbie.
“If he had heavy hands, he would have taken Barao down in the first or second round.”
While it’s nice to hear Barao’s teammates rally behind him leading up to the rematch in Chicago, it’s hard to see where Eduardo is coming from with this one.
Dillashaw blasted Barao with a right hand from hell during their first fight, dropping the then-champion to the canvas and nearly ending the fight in Round 1. From there, the Team Alpha Male product dominated through his diverse and precise striking game before scoring a knockout with a head kick and follow-up punches in Round 5.
Even though that punch in Round 1 didn’t directly signal the bout’s conclusion, there’s no doubt it affected Barao’s performance moving forward in the fight. Barao himself admitted he had no memory of the fight after that punch, so there’s no doubt Dillashaw’s “Barbie” hands Ken can do some serious damage.
Since their first encounter, Dillashaw and Barao have notched one victory apiece—the champ over Joe Soto at UFC 177 and Barao over Mitch Gagnon at UFC Fight Night 58.
For both men, this upcoming rematch at UFC on Fox 16 represents a significant step up in competition, as they are unquestionably the two best fighters in the UFC’s 135-pound division today.
Despite the fact Eduardo doesn’t believe in Dillashaw’s power, I think the champion retains his title via ground-and-pound some time in Round 4.
How do you see this one playing out? Did Dillashaw get lucky the first time around, or is he destined to control the bantamweight throne for the foreseeable future?
Sound off below, and we’ll discuss.
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