In his first title fight for any promotion, Brazilian Renan Barao executed a controlled but effective game plan to confound former champion Urijah Faber and capture the UFC interim bantamweight belt at UFC 149 Saturday night in Calgary, Canada.
The UFC, and the world of MMA, has a new champion.
Barao (29-1-1) still has not lost since his professional debut in 2005. Barao celebrated the interim title by jumping across the cage and exulting with teammates and coaches. It might have been the most exciting part of the main event.
“I came well prepared for everything,” Barao told broadcaster Joe Rogan after the fight through a translator. “I knew Urijah Faber was a great athlete. I prepared well and got a good result.”
Like training partner Jose Aldo before him, Barao relied heavily on leg kicks to stymie Faber’s attack. By and large, however, the fight was surprisingly short on action, particularly given the frenetic reputations both fighters enjoy.
Regardless of the reason, Faber (26-6) was not able to get to Barao, and the outcome was never deeply in doubt.
What We’ll Remember about this Fight
There was no huge kick, no defining exchange. Renan Barao had a plan, and Faber couldn’t do anything to stop it. What was memorable was the 25-year-old Barao plucking the torch from the 32-year-old Faber. Dominick Cruz is the champion, but Faber was still the face of the lower weight classes. He can’t credibly hold that role anymore.
What We Learned about Urijah Faber
Faber is no longer able to compete with the very highest levels. Whether it’s Barao or Cruz or Jose Aldo, Faber simply can no longer get his fastball over the plate. In the later rounds, when it was clear Faber would need a finish, “The California Kid” still did not have the capacity or the willingness to go for broke. He wasn’t as good as Renan Barao Saturday night, and he knew it.
Oh, and he also still doesn’t have an answer for leg kicks. Dear fighters: If you want to beat Faber, try the leg kick.
What We Learned about Renan Barao
We learned that he won’t throw the baby out with the bath water. It wasn’t exciting, but Barao’s performance was more than enough to win. He was conscientious about keeping range and landing low and high kicks that Faber could not counter. And his takedown defense was as advertised.
What’s Next for Faber
Despite the setback, he’ll remain at the top of the division and, more importantly, will stay extremely marketable. How about a matchup with Eddie Wineland? Wineland lost to Faber in the UFC debut for both men back in 2011. I don’t think Wineland would mind a chance to run it back.
What’s Next for Barao:
If UFC President Dana White sticks to his word, the interim champ will not fight again until champ Dominick Cruz returns from his torn ACL, probably in early 2013. If that’s the case, it’s unfortunate, as I’d like to see Barao defend the belt at least once. If the belt were to be defended, young up-and-comer Michael McDonald would seem to sit in the challenger’s seat.
Scott Harris is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Follow him on Twitter @ScottHarrisMMA.
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