T.J. Dillashaw vs. Renan Barao 2 full fight video highlights

Watch T.J. Dillashaw vs. Renan Barao 2 full fight video highlights from UFC on FOX 16’s main event above, courtesy of FOX Sports.

UFC on Fox: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 took place July 25, 2015 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw (12-2) finally settled the score against ex-titleholder Renan Barao (33-3, 1 NC) in the night’s main event, which aired live on FOX Sports 1. Catch the video highlights above.


More Coverage: UFC on FOX 16 Results | UFC news


For more on Dillashaw vs. Barao, catch the play-by-play by MMAFighting.com’s own Luke Thomas.

Round 1: Herb Dean is the referee in charge of the action. Barao is orothdox, but Dillashaw is immediately switching stances and moving…

Watch T.J. Dillashaw vs. Renan Barao 2 full fight video highlights from UFC on FOX 16’s main event above, courtesy of FOX Sports.

UFC on Fox: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 took place July 25, 2015 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw (12-2) finally settled the score against ex-titleholder Renan Barao (33-3, 1 NC) in the night’s main event, which aired live on FOX Sports 1. Catch the video highlights above.


More Coverage: UFC on FOX 16 Results | UFC news


For more on Dillashaw vs. Barao, catch the play-by-play by MMAFighting.com’s own Luke Thomas.

Round 1: Herb Dean is the referee in charge of the action. Barao is orothdox, but Dillashaw is immediately switching stances and moving…

UFC on FOX 16 Embedded, Episode 3: ‘I’m way in her head’

On the third episode of UFC on FOX 16 Embedded, Miesha Tate and Bryan Caraway talk about the pressures of fight night, Jessica Eye talks a walk around Chicago, Paul Felder handles a few interviews, Edson Barboza works out, the stars of Saturday’s f…

On the third episode of UFC on FOX 16 Embedded, Miesha Tate and Bryan Caraway talk about the pressures of fight night, Jessica Eye talks a walk around Chicago, Paul Felder handles a few interviews, Edson Barboza works out, the stars of Saturday’s fights put on a show at open workouts, and more.

UFC on FOX 16 Embedded, Episode 2: ‘We’re living the life people make movies about’

On the second episode of UFC on FOX 16 Embedded, bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw and former champ Renan Barao arrive in Chicago, Edson Barboza settles into his hotel room, Paul Felder checks his weight, Miesha Tate packs, Jessica Eye finishes …

On the second episode of UFC on FOX 16 Embedded, bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw and former champ Renan Barao arrive in Chicago, Edson Barboza settles into his hotel room, Paul Felder checks his weight, Miesha Tate packs, Jessica Eye finishes one last training session in Cleveland, and much more.

Anthony Johnson happy to oblige Jan Blachowicz’s UFC 191 request

Anthony Johnson reenters the light heavyweight fray on Sept. 5 with a fight against veteran Jan Blachowicz at UFC 191. The match-up against Blachowicz isn’t one that “Rumble” expected, but he also isn’t the type of guy who often gets called out. So once he heard Blachowicz making some noise behind-the-scenes, Johnson was more than happy to oblige his foe’s request.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Johnson told MMAFighting.com during UFC 189 fight week. “The guy wanted to fight me, that’s what I heard. So boom, let’s do it. You want to fight? I’ll give you a fight, that’s for sure. Win, lose, or draw, you going to get a fight. You’ll know I’m there. I don’t know how the results are going to be, but you’ll know I’m there when I hit your ass one time.”

With his dance date set, Johnson (19-5) is poised to begin his trek back up the 205-pound ladder after learning a few hard lessons at the hands of Daniel Cormier.

Johnson nearly captured the interim UFC title at UFC 187, bowling over Cormier with a ferocious overhand right in the opening seconds of the fight. Things looked dicey after that, but Cormier ultimately recovered to wear down Johnson with a steady diet of Olympic wrestling then submit his exhausted opponent with a rear-naked choke midway through the bout’s third round.

While it was disappointing to have come so close to achieving his dream of UFC gold, Johnson nonetheless took the loss to Cormier in stride, acknowledging that he learned in defeat that he had to “stay focused” if he wanted to be a perennial fixture atop the division.

“I had to make some adjustments,” Johnson admitted. “My coaching, I added some people to my stable. Neil Melanson, he’s definitely the man when it comes down to grappling. Awesome guy. My stand-up is still the same, wrestling is still the same, jiu-jitsu is still the same, but I’m putting grappling in the mix with the jiu-jitsu and wrestling. Neil is that guy who’s in-between, obviously, with catch wrestling. So I’m excited.”

Despite his setback, Johnson’s revival as a top-tier light heavyweight still stands as one of the sport’s most remarkable storylines of the past several years.

Johnson debuted in the UFC as an oversized welterweight in 2007, and though he showed flashes of promise, the scales were always his greatest adversary. He missed weight three times over his first UFC run, finally earning his release from the promotion after tipping the scales 12 pounds overweight in 2012.

Around that time, Johnson joined up with an upstart team in Boca Raton that would eventually come to be known as the Blackzilians. It was there he found his way, reinventing himself as a monstrous light heavyweight slugger, cruising to nine straight wins, and becoming one of the most successful Blackzilians in the process.

So considering all he’s overcome, Johnson couldn’t be prouder of the way his teammates showcased the growth of the gym with their victorious run on The Ultimate Fighter 21.

“It means a lot to me,” Johnson said. “It means heart and dedication, man, and coming together. Because a lot of us at the beginning came from different places, different situations to be a Blackzilian. And we worked really hard to get where we are. To me, I think right now some of these guys who want to be a part of the Blackzilians, they just want the name on them. Some people, they don’t honor the code to be a Blackzilian. Some people don’t want to go through the fire to be a Blackzilian. Some people just want to say ‘I’m a Blackzilian, so that makes me a badass,’ when that’s not the case.

“The guys who originally started the team, before we even had the name Blackzilians, we went through a lot. There was like eight or nine of us, and we struggled, man. We pushed each other to where we are now, so the Blackzilian name means a lot to me. I just hope these younger cats understand what it means to be a Blackzilian.”

Anthony Johnson reenters the light heavyweight fray on Sept. 5 with a fight against veteran Jan Blachowicz at UFC 191. The match-up against Blachowicz isn’t one that “Rumble” expected, but he also isn’t the type of guy who often gets called out. So once he heard Blachowicz making some noise behind-the-scenes, Johnson was more than happy to oblige his foe’s request.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Johnson told MMAFighting.com during UFC 189 fight week. “The guy wanted to fight me, that’s what I heard. So boom, let’s do it. You want to fight? I’ll give you a fight, that’s for sure. Win, lose, or draw, you going to get a fight. You’ll know I’m there. I don’t know how the results are going to be, but you’ll know I’m there when I hit your ass one time.”

With his dance date set, Johnson (19-5) is poised to begin his trek back up the 205-pound ladder after learning a few hard lessons at the hands of Daniel Cormier.

Johnson nearly captured the interim UFC title at UFC 187, bowling over Cormier with a ferocious overhand right in the opening seconds of the fight. Things looked dicey after that, but Cormier ultimately recovered to wear down Johnson with a steady diet of Olympic wrestling then submit his exhausted opponent with a rear-naked choke midway through the bout’s third round.

While it was disappointing to have come so close to achieving his dream of UFC gold, Johnson nonetheless took the loss to Cormier in stride, acknowledging that he learned in defeat that he had to “stay focused” if he wanted to be a perennial fixture atop the division.

“I had to make some adjustments,” Johnson admitted. “My coaching, I added some people to my stable. Neil Melanson, he’s definitely the man when it comes down to grappling. Awesome guy. My stand-up is still the same, wrestling is still the same, jiu-jitsu is still the same, but I’m putting grappling in the mix with the jiu-jitsu and wrestling. Neil is that guy who’s in-between, obviously, with catch wrestling. So I’m excited.”

Despite his setback, Johnson’s revival as a top-tier light heavyweight still stands as one of the sport’s most remarkable storylines of the past several years.

Johnson debuted in the UFC as an oversized welterweight in 2007, and though he showed flashes of promise, the scales were always his greatest adversary. He missed weight three times over his first UFC run, finally earning his release from the promotion after tipping the scales 12 pounds overweight in 2012.

Around that time, Johnson joined up with an upstart team in Boca Raton that would eventually come to be known as the Blackzilians. It was there he found his way, reinventing himself as a monstrous light heavyweight slugger, cruising to nine straight wins, and becoming one of the most successful Blackzilians in the process.

So considering all he’s overcome, Johnson couldn’t be prouder of the way his teammates showcased the growth of the gym with their victorious run on The Ultimate Fighter 21.

“It means a lot to me,” Johnson said. “It means heart and dedication, man, and coming together. Because a lot of us at the beginning came from different places, different situations to be a Blackzilian. And we worked really hard to get where we are. To me, I think right now some of these guys who want to be a part of the Blackzilians, they just want the name on them. Some people, they don’t honor the code to be a Blackzilian. Some people don’t want to go through the fire to be a Blackzilian. Some people just want to say ‘I’m a Blackzilian, so that makes me a badass,’ when that’s not the case.

“The guys who originally started the team, before we even had the name Blackzilians, we went through a lot. There was like eight or nine of us, and we struggled, man. We pushed each other to where we are now, so the Blackzilian name means a lot to me. I just hope these younger cats understand what it means to be a Blackzilian.”

Reebok issues statement in wake of ‘Stitch’ Duran firing

Reebok is distancing itself from the firing of Jacob “Stitch” Duran.

Less than 24 hours after the UFC’s controversial and largely unpopular decision to part ways with the legendary cutman, Reebok issued a statement to UFC fans stating that the apparel company was blameless in any matters regarding “UFC employment or fighter compensation.”

UFC fans: We have no input on decisions of UFC employment or fighter compensation. Our focus is providing the best gear for fighters & fans.

— Reebok (@Reebok) July 22, 2015

The statement comes in the wake of Duran’s abrupt release from the post he has held since UFC 33 in 2001.

Duran, renown as the best cutman in the game, revealed this week in an interview with Bloody Elbow that the UFC’s exclusive uniform deal with Reebok caused him to loss his sponsors as well, leaving him with no sponsorship compensation and a base salary that he referred to as “garbage” in a follow-up interview with MMAFighting.com.

A day after the publication of the initial interview, Duran was relieved of his UFC duties.

Duran is widely considered a pioneer of the industry, having worked to establish the UFC’s cutman program and protocols in the early days of Zuffa’s ownership. He called the transition from monthly sponsorship income to nothing “a shocker,” and criticized the UFC for a perceived lack of respect it’s shown he and his contemporaries over recent years.

Duran’s sudden ousting sparked criticism from both fighters and fans.

“Soooo we the fighters are assed out because @StitchDuran spoke his mind?,” tweeted UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Johnson. That sentiment was echoed by former lightweight champion Benson Henderson, “Dang, @StitchDuran, big ups for your bravery in speaking your mind…sorry to hear about how it all played out…”

The role of a cutman is often overlooked, but is an undeniably important role nonetheless — as is evidenced by Duran’s work in preventing the gory battle between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald from a premature stoppage at UFC 189.

Duran said Tuesday that he plans to listen to offers from other MMA organizations in the wake of his release. He also is expected to work with boxer Andre Berto for his Sept. fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., and is the trusted cutman of choice for reigning heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Reebok Launch: Dana White interview

Reebok is distancing itself from the firing of Jacob “Stitch” Duran.

Less than 24 hours after the UFC’s controversial and largely unpopular decision to part ways with the legendary cutman, Reebok issued a statement to UFC fans stating that the apparel company was blameless in any matters regarding “UFC employment or fighter compensation.”

The statement comes in the wake of Duran’s abrupt release from the post he has held since UFC 33 in 2001.

Duran, renown as the best cutman in the game, revealed this week in an interview with Bloody Elbow that the UFC’s exclusive uniform deal with Reebok caused him to loss his sponsors as well, leaving him with no sponsorship compensation and a base salary that he referred to as “garbage” in a follow-up interview with MMAFighting.com.

A day after the publication of the initial interview, Duran was relieved of his UFC duties.

Duran is widely considered a pioneer of the industry, having worked to establish the UFC’s cutman program and protocols in the early days of Zuffa’s ownership. He called the transition from monthly sponsorship income to nothing “a shocker,” and criticized the UFC for a perceived lack of respect it’s shown he and his contemporaries over recent years.

Duran’s sudden ousting sparked criticism from both fighters and fans.

“Soooo we the fighters are assed out because @StitchDuran spoke his mind?,” tweeted UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Johnson. That sentiment was echoed by former lightweight champion Benson Henderson, “Dang, @StitchDuran, big ups for your bravery in speaking your mind…sorry to hear about how it all played out…”

The role of a cutman is often overlooked, but is an undeniably important role nonetheless — as is evidenced by Duran’s work in preventing the gory battle between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald from a premature stoppage at UFC 189.

Duran said Tuesday that he plans to listen to offers from other MMA organizations in the wake of his release. He also is expected to work with boxer Andre Berto for his Sept. fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., and is the trusted cutman of choice for reigning heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.


Reebok Launch: Dana White interview

Conor McGregor’s father doubts UFC books Jose Aldo on another world tour: ‘I think he’s just had enough’

Conor McGregor and his team at SBG Ireland have made a habit out of pointing to Jose Aldo’s last-second withdrawal from UFC 189 as proof that the UFC featherweight champion is afraid to fight his Irish rival. McGregor’s father, Tony, won’t go that far, but he also can’t help but wonder about the strange circumstances that led to Aldo’s removal from the July 11 mega-event.

“Personally, I don’t think [Aldo] is afraid of him,” Tony McGregor said Monday on The MMA Hour. “I just don’t know why he won’t face him.”

Aldo pulled out of the McGregor match-up less than two weeks before fight night, citing a fractured rib as the reason for his decision. The announcement resolved a week of speculation regarding Aldo’s status, but did little to curb the bizarre way the situation was handled.

UFC president Dana White has since stated that three separate doctors told the UFC that Aldo’s ribs were bruised, not fractured, and that the x-rays Aldo’s team released showcased an old injury. Aldo’s team vehemently denied White’s claims, but that’s done little to slow the narrative pushed by McGregor about how Aldo ducked the fight.

“I’d hate to think a champion is afraid of any fighter, you know?” McGregor’s father said. “I have to have respect for all fighters. Anyone who steps into the Octagon, I have respect for them. I don’t know why he pulled out of this, but the fact of the matter is, he did. When it was confirmed that he wasn’t fighting, it was a big disappointment for us Irish fans all over the world.

“But I knew actually, when Chad Mendes was put forward, I knew it was a win-win situation for the fans.

“We have the Aldo fight back on … and it’s even bigger now.”

McGregor ultimately defeated Mendes in dramatic fashion at UFC 189, knocking out the American wrestler with a flurry of punches in the closing seconds of the second round to capture the interim UFC featherweight title.

McGregor’s win preserved the ultra-lucrative payday of an Aldo fight, and actually pushed it even further towards fulfilling McGregor’s prophecy of becoming the biggest fight in UFC history.

While nothing is on the books yet, promotion officials have indicated that the bout may even take place at the AT&T Stadium — the lavish 100,000 seat home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, TX.

The UFC invested record millions into promoting UFC 189, including a sweeping 12-day, five-country world tour that culminated in a memorable encounter in Dublin, Ireland. Prior to McGregor’s victory over Mendes, White promised that the UFC would spend “even more money” to promote McGregor-Aldo if it was granted a second chance.

Now that it’s come to fruition though, Tony McGregor doubts Aldo will be very welcoming to the idea of another global excursion alongside his loquacious son.

“I can’t see the world promo thing going ahead,” Tony McGregor said. “I wouldn’t speak for them, but I couldn’t see Aldo going through another world promo tour. I think he’s just had enough.”

Conor McGregor and his team at SBG Ireland have made a habit out of pointing to Jose Aldo’s last-second withdrawal from UFC 189 as proof that the UFC featherweight champion is afraid to fight his Irish rival. McGregor’s father, Tony, won’t go that far, but he also can’t help but wonder about the strange circumstances that led to Aldo’s removal from the July 11 mega-event.

“Personally, I don’t think [Aldo] is afraid of him,” Tony McGregor said Monday on The MMA Hour. “I just don’t know why he won’t face him.”

Aldo pulled out of the McGregor match-up less than two weeks before fight night, citing a fractured rib as the reason for his decision. The announcement resolved a week of speculation regarding Aldo’s status, but did little to curb the bizarre way the situation was handled.

UFC president Dana White has since stated that three separate doctors told the UFC that Aldo’s ribs were bruised, not fractured, and that the x-rays Aldo’s team released showcased an old injury. Aldo’s team vehemently denied White’s claims, but that’s done little to slow the narrative pushed by McGregor about how Aldo ducked the fight.

“I’d hate to think a champion is afraid of any fighter, you know?” McGregor’s father said. “I have to have respect for all fighters. Anyone who steps into the Octagon, I have respect for them. I don’t know why he pulled out of this, but the fact of the matter is, he did. When it was confirmed that he wasn’t fighting, it was a big disappointment for us Irish fans all over the world.

“But I knew actually, when Chad Mendes was put forward, I knew it was a win-win situation for the fans.

“We have the Aldo fight back on … and it’s even bigger now.”

McGregor ultimately defeated Mendes in dramatic fashion at UFC 189, knocking out the American wrestler with a flurry of punches in the closing seconds of the second round to capture the interim UFC featherweight title.

McGregor’s win preserved the ultra-lucrative payday of an Aldo fight, and actually pushed it even further towards fulfilling McGregor’s prophecy of becoming the biggest fight in UFC history.

While nothing is on the books yet, promotion officials have indicated that the bout may even take place at the AT&T Stadium — the lavish 100,000 seat home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, TX.

The UFC invested record millions into promoting UFC 189, including a sweeping 12-day, five-country world tour that culminated in a memorable encounter in Dublin, Ireland. Prior to McGregor’s victory over Mendes, White promised that the UFC would spend “even more money” to promote McGregor-Aldo if it was granted a second chance.

Now that it’s come to fruition though, Tony McGregor doubts Aldo will be very welcoming to the idea of another global excursion alongside his loquacious son.

“I can’t see the world promo thing going ahead,” Tony McGregor said. “I wouldn’t speak for them, but I couldn’t see Aldo going through another world promo tour. I think he’s just had enough.”