The UFC made its return to Chicago Saturday night, as UFC on Fox 16 came to audiences live from the United Center.
The card was headlined by a UFC Bantamweight Championship bout between TJ Dillashaw and Renan Barao. It was a rematch from their first en…
The UFC made its return to Chicago Saturday night, as UFC on Fox 16 came to audiences live from the United Center.
The card was headlined by a UFC Bantamweight Championship bout between TJ Dillashaw and RenanBarao. It was a rematch from their first encounter, where a heavy underdog in Dillashaw made a name for himself by upending the longtime champion, Barao.
This time around, nothing was different. Dillashaw completely dismantled Barao, using superior striking and footwork to rout the Brazilian.
It was a devastating loss for Barao, who is now further from the title than ever. He now must go back to the drawing board and figure some things out.
In the meanwhile, here are three fights that Barao can take next in an effort to right the ship.
Dominick Cruz
Dominick Cruz has been away from the cage with injuries. However, if he were to return in the near future, a bout with Barao would seem logical.
Both men have been champions of the division and the best fighters, pound-for-pound. It would be a truly pleasing matchup for both men and a gauge to see if Cruz is ready for a title shot.
Barao at this point is stuck in no-man’s land because Dillashaw is champion. So, the Brazilian will be the measuring stick for anyone who is looking to run at the title.
Cruz is that man and could match up nicely with the former UFC champion.
TakeyaMizugaki
Barao has seemingly fought everyone in the bantamweight division. Just look at his record.
A noticeably absent name from his dossier is TakeyaMizugaki, who has been around just as long as, if not longer than, Barao. That makes an impending matchup one to look out for.
Both men love to strike, which makes this a potential Fight of the Night. Mizugaki is a little more technical, while Barao is far more powerful.
This may be the best matchup to make for Barao. A fight against the seasoned vet will determine how he has recovered from his most recent loss.
Loser of John Lineker vs. Francisco Rivera
UFC 191 on Sept. 5 is home to an absolute barnburner when John Lineker and Francisco Rivera meet. When the fallout settles, the winner will be close to the title picture.
That’s where the loser steps in. Whoever fails to gain victory at UFC 191 would be a great opponent for Barao.
Both guys sling heavy leather and are aggressive. That makes a bout with Barao one that would be fun to watch and interesting to see who succeeds.
There are plenty of options going forward for Barao. This one just happens to be too much fun to overlook.
The two main events for UFC on Fox 16 delivered in a big way.
TJ Dillashaw continued his dominance over Renan Barao in the main event. He only got hit when he dropped his hands to play with Barao, but other than that he completely schooled the former c…
The two main events for UFC on Fox 16 delivered in a big way.
TJ Dillashaw continued his dominance over RenanBarao in the main event. He only got hit when he dropped his hands to play with Barao, but other than that he completely schooled the former champion. Dillashaw made sure everyone knew their first fight was not a fluke, and that he is the No. 1 fighter in this division.
Dillashaw‘s movement is marvelous, and his striking has improved dramatically since his time on TheUltimate Fighter.
A future date with Dominick Cruz appears to be his only hurdle in this division, but a rematch with Raphael Assuncao may also be on the table. Regardless, the now should be about reveling in this phenomenal performance.
Dillashaw connected on over 100 significant strikes for the fourth consecutive fight, and that earned him a $50,000 performance bonus.
The 135-pound title eliminator provided plenty of excitement in the co-main event. Miesha Tate got off to a slow start against Jessica Eye but changed the tides when she dropped the former top-ranked flyweight. After that, she ran the fight.
Tate was clearly the bigger, stronger fighter in the cage. Her punching power has improved greatly, and she got to showcase that against Eye. The Ohioan was supposed to be the better striker, and technically she may be. However, power is the great equalizer. Tate bit down on her mouthpiece and connected with the more damaging shots.
Now she will get the winner of Ronda Rousey vs. Bethe Correia, who fight on August 1. It may be a foregone conclusion that we get the trilogy fight between the two heated rivals.
Enjoy the fight highlights of these two impressive performances at UFC on Fox 16.
Saturday’s main event was one built for proclamation and redemption.
In the most anticipated bantamweight rematch of all time, T.J. Dillashaw put his belt on the line opposite Renan Barao, the very man the champion defeated to earn the title just 14 mo…
Saturday’s main event was one built for proclamation and redemption.
In the most anticipated bantamweight rematch of all time, T.J. Dillashaw put his belt on the line opposite RenanBarao, the very man the champion defeated to earn the title just 14 months ago.
Dillashaw‘s unprecedented finish of the Brazilian at UFC 173, compliments of precise striking and sensational timing under the tutelage of head coach Duane “Bang” Ludwig, ended Barao‘s historic 33-fight unbeaten streak.
The loss bumped Barao off of his comfy throne and back down the bantamweight ladder. But a recent submission victory over Mitch Gagnon back at UFC Fight Night 58 catapulted The Baron back into a grudge match with Team Alpha Male’s crown jewel.
Unfortunately for the former 135-pound kingpin, Dillashaw took over where he left off in their first meeting and battered Barao for just over 15 minutes, securing the fourth-round TKO.
Here is what we learned from the champ’s scintillating performance and second-consecutive title retention.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
Barao once again was unable to initiate, let alone land, his patented high-octane unorthodox strikes due to the champ’s timely switches, quick footwork and angle play.
From southpaw to lunging combinations, Dillashaw picked apart Barao and left him battered and bruised just one minute into the first championship frame.
But despite Dillashaw‘s sensational striking and technique, it was his willingness to tangle up with Barao along the cage, eat some harsh body shots in the process and drain the Brazilian from the get-go that truly gave him the upper hand.
This fight was proof that Team Alpha Male’s top dog is the real deal, and that he most certainly has Barao‘s number in nearly every department.
What We Learned AboutDillashaw
There wasn’t much that Dillashaw did that he didn’t do perfectly the first time he debunked Barao‘s powerful striking.
He was able to switch to southpaw a little more often and tie The Baron up along the cage in order to score points in bunches and tire the Brazilian out.
But from a futuristic standpoint, we did learn that the champion is a true kingpin of the division and a guy who may very well possess one of the most puzzling striking arsenals in all of MMA (shout out to Dominick Cruz).
Dillashaw was stuffed on multiple takedown attempts, which plays into Barao‘s historic defense inside the cage, but his wrestling pedigree was not needed in another world-renowned effort under the bright lights.
What We Learned AboutBarao
For all that Barao possesses on the feet and on the ground, his conditioning and strenuous weight cut is truly prohibiting his abilities during fights.
While he has been able to stop other bantamweights in their tracks early in the past, he ultimately runs into trouble against a firecracker like Dillashaw who offers relentless pressure, angling, combinations and the ability to get off early.
Barao was able to land some significant shots in the clinch, evident by his body-cringing knees, but it wasn’t enough to slow down a menacing champion like The Viper.
It should be mentioned that the Brazilian was able to absorb more damage in the rematch and even remained standing through the fourth-round stoppage.
What’s Next for Dillashaw
At this point, unless Cruz is able to heal and actually make it through a full training camp, No. 3 ranked bantamweight Raphael Assuncao makes the most sense for the champ.
He’s the last fighter to defeat him inside of the cage, albeit via split-decision back in 2013 at UFC Fight Night 29, and is currently riding a vastly impressive seven-fight win streak.
Of course, Assuncao has not been the most healthy fighter in years past, so it’s possible that a guy like undefeated Aljamain Sterling could leapfrog the entire Top 5 with another late-2015 victory en route to earning a title shot.
Not to mention a historic showdown with teammate Urijah Faber, if the money and circumstances were ideal.
What’s Next for Barao
Barao is now stuck in no man’s land at 135 pounds. Sort of like Benson Henderson running out of options after losing to Anthony Pettis for a second time at lightweight.
The Brazilian’s unfortunate decline after putting forth such a masterful career could essentially spark a move up to featherweight, like Smooth’s entry into the welterweight division.
Teammate and divisional champion Jose Aldo would stand in the way of Barao going for gold at 145 pounds, but there’s always a potential showdown with interim king ConorMcGregor that would promote well on the grounds of bad blood between Notorious and Nova Uniao.
With that said, Barao would have to defeat at least a few top featherweights in order to regain his promotional momentum.
Maybe a showdown with the winner of Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 74 next month?
There’s a symmetry with rivals.Anderson Silva’s UFC tenure could easily end in the same way as his greatest foe, Chael Sonnen: with a failed drug test and an unceremonious exit from the sport.Georges St-Pierre followed nemesis Nick Diaz out…
There’s a symmetry with rivals.
Anderson Silva’s UFC tenure could easily end in the same way as his greatest foe, Chael Sonnen: with a failed drug test and an unceremonious exit from the sport.
Even Josh Koscheck and Paul Daley went the same way, off to Bellator where they distantly lob insults at one another in the spirit of the long con of a rematch.
For TJ Dillashaw and Renan Barao, there’s symmetry in how they each ended up at UFC on Fox 16 in Chicago on Saturday night.
They fought last May, with Dillashaw scoring one of the most shocking, dominating wins the sport has ever seen.
They were rebooked for August, but Barao was felled by a failed weight cut and never even made it to the scales. Dillashaw scored his only title defense to date, succeeding in a pay-per-view sparring session with a game, but outclassed Joe Soto, who was testing the champion’s mettle on only a few hours’ notice.
Barao later returned to the cage for his only fight since the Dillashaw pasting, winning a painfully unimpressive bout with Mitch Gagnon, where not even the thrust of his own countrymen behind him could bring the old killer out of the Baron. It was nothing to write home about, but it was enough for the UFC to push him back into a title fight.
The rematch was finally destined to happen at UFC 186 in April; however, this time it was Dillashaw who suffered from some pre-fight bad luck on his way to missing the event. He fractured a rib in training, and his chance to show people the first time was no fluke had to be pushed into the summer Chicago heat.
And now, a year in the making and with both guys having come full circle, it’s here.
Dillashaw enters the rematch a different fighter than the one from a year ago. He’s still full of swift, slashing movements and bounds around like some sort of optimized Gravitron.
The degree to which he’s fused his mind with coach Duane Ludwig is the closest thing the sport has seen to taking the brain of one fighter and placing it in the head of another. It’s a frightening idea for Dillashaw’s opponents given Ludwig’s expertise as a striker and the time they’ve now had to truly work on the finer points of the game together.
For Barao, he enters combat as a man with something to prove. The first time they met, Dillashaw was a prospect who needed the fight of his life to unseat the best bantamweight alive, and he provided it. This time, it’s Barao looking for that fight of his life, hopeful he can return to form after some 18 months of utter mediocrity.
Still, with the trudging to this rematch finally complete and the cage door set to lock, this remains Dillashaw’s first test as champion. He responded admirably to the Soto challenge, trucking through him with a protracted beatdown. But it was what he should have done.
In Barao he will see a man who knows what the top of the mountain is like and who’s anxious to perch there again, a man who is personally invested in both his dislike of Dillashaw and his capacity to rebound from the beating Dillashaw gave him. It’s a totally different beast.
We do know that Dillashaw is as hungry as they come, that he’s getting the best training imaginable between Ludwig and his membership in the Team Alpha Male circle and that he’s going to be improved from when we last saw him. That’s the biggest asset of winning a title before you’re fully developed: You continue to get better, and you continue to put space between you and the pack of challengers chasing behind.
A year is a long time for the champion to keep getting better, to keep evolving with the knowledge that he’d have to beat Barao again to prove himself.
And what of Barao? What do we know of him? He looked mostly the same the last time he was in action, and with more miles on his body and more outrageous weight cuts chalked up than maybe anyone in the sport, it seems unlikely that his trajectory of improvement will match Dillashaw’s. Plus, there’s always the concern that when a man beats you the way Dillashaw beat him the first time, you simply don’t ever come back mentally from it.
It all adds up to a fascinating main event for Fox, who will broadcast their first title fight since 2013. It’s a rivalry a year in the making, the closing of a loop and the type of thing that has more questions than answers going in but will provide only one answer that matters coming out—which man is the better man.
One thing is for certain, though: This is TJ Dillashaw’s first test as champion, and he’ll prove a lot with it should he leave Chicago with his gold intact.
Renan Barao is going to regain his UFC bantamweight title in the most highly anticipated rematch in mixed martial arts. Barao will take on current champion T.J. Dillashaw for a second time after losing his title to the Team Alpha Male stud at UFC 173 i…
RenanBarao is going to regain his UFC bantamweight title in the most highly anticipated rematch in mixed martial arts. Barao will take on current champion T.J. Dillashaw for a second time after losing his title to the Team Alpha Male stud at UFC 173 in May 2014. The bout is the main event of UFC on Fox 16 on Saturday night in Chicago.
TV and Live Stream: Prelims on UFC Fight Pass and Fox, Main Card on Fox
The feature fight is tantalizing, but on paper the rest of the card looks only so-so by Fox-feature-event standards.
Many pundits are having a tough time predicting a winner for Dillashaw-Barao II. Fox Sports’ Elias Cepeda likes Dillashaw by decision, but he doesn’t sound 100 percent confident:
This one could end up being a patient, waiting game, or the two rivals could clash in the center of the Octagon from the start. In either case, it’s almost an unpredictable fight. Barao has had time to rest and recover. Perhaps he’ll be able to cut off the ring and corner Dillashaw a bit better this time.
The two headliners were set for the rematch in August 2014 at UFC 177, but Baraofell ill after a brutal weight cut and couldn’t compete. Dillashaw instead successfully defended his title against Joe Soto.
Dillashaw and Barao were again set to renew acquaintances, and this time an injury to the champion in March derailed the rematch scheduled for April 25 at UFC 186.
Barring some unfortunate happenstance between Friday and Saturday (mind you, the weigh-in is on Friday), this fight will finally take place. Judging by Barao‘s performance in the first fight, the weight cut to 135 pounds looked to have bothered him then as well.
Barao looked listless and less aggressive than he had in previous fights. Dillashaw‘s movement and athleticism had something to do with that, but I don’t think that wasn’t an example of Barao at his best.
Barao broke down the circumstances surrounding the first fight in this interview from Sherdog:
Call me crazy, but Barao‘s excuse sounds legit. The video offers a detailed explanation of how the string of events, beginning with his win over Dillashaw‘s TAM teammate Urijah Faber, subsequent partying at Carnival and rush into UFC 173, was the perfect recipe for a mediocre performance against a top-notch opponent.
What do you get when that happens? A thorough beating culminating in a fifth-round TKO in favor of Dillashaw.
Don’t expect that to happen again on Saturday. Barao looked like his old self in submitting Mitch Gagnon in December 2014. He will be sharp, motivated and hungry when he enters the Octagon against Dillashaw for a second time.
In the first fight, Dillashaw did a number on Barao with leg strikes. Dillashaw landed 24 of 28 leg strikes to hurt Barao and disturb his rhythm. Barao neither checked nor evaded the attacks well. His striking defense was poor on a whole as Dillashaw threw 309 significant strikes and landed 45 percent of them.
All of Barao‘s opponents in the UFC have landed an average of 39 percent of their strikes.
While Dillashaw is an experienced wrestler from his days at Fullerton State University and in high school, there’s a real question as to whether his ground game is superior to Barao. The latter is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and gained fame for his diverse and dangerous submission game. He’s secured 15 of his 33 wins by submission.
Curiously, he didn’t attempt one takedown against Dillashaw in the first fight.
All this points to a man who was not prepared to compete at his peak. That’s his own fault, but he has likely learned from his mistakes. Barao will not allow Dillashaw to dictate the pace of the fight with his movement, jabs and leg kicks as he did in the first fight.
He’ll also make sure the champion has to account for his ground game by forcing him to at least defend takedowns. By employing that part of his game, he may open up opportunities for strikes. It’s easy to forget just how dominant Barao had been before the loss. Barao‘s record is 33-2 overall, and he hadn’t lost a fight in nine years before Dillashaw beat him.
Both Dillashaw and Barao are young at 29 and 28, respectively. So this isn’t a case of a grizzled veteran trying to hold off a young up-and-coming fighter. Both guys are in their physical prime, and Barao will be better in the rematch.
Tate Will Tame Eye
The first 45 seconds will be key in the Miesha “Cupcake” Tate vs. Jessica “Evil” Eye bout. Eye is ultra-aggressive, and she’ll come out looking to land bombs and finish Tate early. She is such a solid and vicious striker that she might get the job done with this approach, as Tate’s striking defense (49 percent) is less than exemplary.
While Tate is known to take punishment and Eye is known for dishing it out (5.26 strikes landed per minute, third most among top-10 women’s bantamweights), Cupcake’s resiliency will be a factor in this fight.
She’ll want to take the fight to the ground, where she has a huge advantage in grappling. Tate also has a big edge in experience as she’s been in a number of main event and co-main event matches in her career.
Eye will gas out within the first minute of the fight because of her adrenaline and willingness to sell out for the KO. Tate will weather the storm and secure a submission win late in the first round or early in the second. Love it or hate it, we might be moving toward Rousey vs. Tate III.
Lauzon vs. Gomi is a FOTN Candidate
Joe Lauzon has collected 13 Fight Night bonuses in his career. Six of them have been for Fight of the Night honors. He might be headed for his 14th and seventh on Saturday night.
Lauzon faces flawed Japanese MMA legend TakanoriGomi in the opening bout on the main card, and this one has barnburner written all over it. Gomi loves to trade, but he’s not incredibly hard to hit at age 36. Myles Jury proved that when he stopped Gomi in the first round back in September 2014.
Gomi also doesn’t have much of a ground game. That’s a problem, as Lauzon is one of the premier submission guys in the UFC with eight wins by submission in the promotion and six Submission of the Night bonuses before the award was renamed.
While Lauzon is an excellent submissions fighter, he also likes to stand and trade. With both men willing to throw hands, this one will be entertaining while it stays on the feet. However, it’s only a matter of time before Lauzon takes Gomi down.
Once that happens, Gomi will be in deep water, and Lauzon will finish with some sort of choke. Both men could very well be bloodied by the time that happens.
We’ve seen cards look terrible on paper before and turn out to be great. UFC Fight Night New Orleans on June 6 was a recent example. Fans can only hope we see a repeat or an even better show than the fighters put on that night.
All fight stats per Fight Metric unless otherwise noted.
What a difference a year has made for T.J. Dillashaw.
Over the past 14 months the Team Alpha Male standout has gone from a highly touted prospect-turned-contender figured to be another step in the title reign of Renan Barao, to a bantamweight champion …
What a difference a year has made for T.J. Dillashaw.
Over the past 14 months the Team Alpha Male standout has gone from a highly touted prospect-turned-contender figured to be another step in the title reign of RenanBarao, to a bantamweight champion on the verge of solidifying his place as the king of the 135-pound collective. The 29-year-old set this transformation in motion by pulling one of the biggest upsets in recent memory when he defeated the Brazilian phenom via TKO in the fifth round of their title tilt at UFC 173 last May.
Dillashaw‘s performance en route to winning the bantamweight title was a brilliant display of technique and measured aggression, as The Ultimate Fighter alum flexed his vastly improved striking skills and footwork. His movement and accuracy served to baffle the Nova Uniao representative, and the victory marked a new era in the ranks of the bantamweight fold.
Yet, as has become somewhat of a protocol under the UFC banner, anytime a once dominant champion has been dethroned an immediate rematch is put in motion, and the second go between Dillashaw and Barao was slated for UFC 177 three months later in Sacramento, California. With The Baron chalking his loss to Dillashaw as a fluke in their first meeting—and several barbs being traded between the two fighters and their respective camps—anticipation was high heading into the rematch.
One bad weight cut and an 11th-hour opponent change suddenly took Dillashaw‘s chance to validate his place atop the bantamweight division to the wayside into a spectacle, as he thrashed Barao‘s replacement, Joe Soto, to make the first successful defense of his title. And even though his victory over the former Bellator champion did little to validate his position as bantamweight title holder, the opportunity he’s waited more than a year to capture will finally come to fruition this Saturday night at UFC on Fox 16.
And even though he’s entering the rematch with Barao as champion instead of challenger, Dillashaw insists his focus won’t be any different from the first time he made the walk to the Octagon to throw down with the Brazilian striker in Chicago.
“I’m actually taking this fight with the same mind-set,” Dillashaw told Bleacher Report. “I was confident going into that last fight with him that I was going to win. The only people who believed in me were my team and my family, and that’s all that matters. I’m going in, and I’m nervous about my opponent. If I weren’t nervous then I wouldn’t be ready. I’m respecting what he has, because if I don’t I’m going to get caught. I’m going to treat it as the same kind of fight. I’m not going to overlook the guy and think it’s going to be an easy fight. I’m going in there expecting a five-round war and looking for the finish.”
Despite the history between Dillashaw and Barao, the champion isn’t carrying a grudge into their upcoming title fight. Dillashaw has decided to leave the past in the past, and the only thing on the bantamweight champion’s mind is taking the next step in his reign over the 135-pound division.
“This fight is about proving dominance in my weight class,” Dillashaw said. “If it’s RenanBarao or whoever I fight, it doesn’t make a difference to me. I don’t have a chip on my shoulder that I’m fighting him again. I don’t have anything like that. I’m looking at this fight with him as just another opponent.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
The UFC made its return to Chicago Saturday night, as UFC on Fox 16 came to audiences live from the United Center.
