We have a new champion.
Heavy underdog T.J. Dillashaw battered and upended Brazilian dynamo Renan Barao at UFC 173 Saturday night to capture the UFC bantamweight belt.
The official result was a TKO victory at 2:22 of the fifth and final round.
“I…
We have a new champion.
Heavy underdog T.J. Dillashaw battered and upended Brazilian dynamo RenanBarao at UFC 173 Saturday night to capture the UFC bantamweight belt.
The official result was a TKO victory at 2:22 of the fifth and final round.
“I’ve dreamed this for so long,” Dillashaw said in his post-fight comments. “Barao’s the best in the world in my eyes…that’s what brought it out in me.”
Dillashaw served notice early on that this would not be a normal fight for Barao. The challenger charged forward often and toward the end of the first round cracked and floored Barao with a heavy right hand. Though Dillashaw was unable to finish the fight at that moment despite a swarm of follow-up strikes, the blow appeared to put a fog on Barao that never fully lifted.
Nevertheless, the Brazilian fought gamely as the rounds wore on, landing leg kicks and stifling several takedown attempts from the former Cal State Fullerton wrestler. Through it all, though, Dillashaw remained light on his feet, staying clear of Barao‘s attack and stalking down the champion when the openings arose.
Barao finally succumbed in the fifth frame, but there was no fluke about this one. Dillashaw was the better and more aggressive fighter from horn to horn. And now he’s the new UFC bantamweight champion.
According to official UFC statistics provider FightMetric, Dillashaw landed 140 of 309 significant strikes, for a 45 percent clip. Barao, by contrast, connected on just 64 of 273 significant strike attempts, for a 23 percent success rate.
It was the first professional loss for Barao since his professional debut, all the way back in 2005.
The 28-year-old Dillashaw, who first gained notoriety as a cast member on the 14th season of The Ultimate Fighter, is now 10-2 as a pro. Barao, 27, is now 32-2 (1).
It seems that whenever a supporter of a fighter wants to elevate his name, he is elevated as a pound-for-pound great. Be it fans, writers or Dana White, the term is used quickly and without restraint—the main support being that of an impressive r…
It seems that whenever a supporter of a fighter wants to elevate his name, he is elevated as a pound-for-pound great. Be it fans, writers or Dana White, the term is used quickly and without restraint—the main support being that of an impressive record, usually coupled with an equally impressive winning streak.
At UFC 173, TJ Dillashaw proved that it takes more than a great record or winning streak to hold the mantle of pound-for-pound great; it takes true greatness.
Going into his fight with then-champion Renan Barao, Dillashaw was hardly given a chance to win. Barao was thought to be too dominant to be defeated by a relative newcomer to the sport.
After all, Dillashaw was sporting a 9-2 record going into the fight; weighed in equal opposition to the impressive 32-1 record of Barao, Dillashaw didn’t seem to have the experience needed to handle the Brazilian.
Those sentiments were echoed loudly by just about anyone with a Twitter account and some authority in the sport. Prior to UFC 173, White spoke highly of Barao, showing an appreciation for all of the talents and accomplishments the Brazilian had earned, per John Morgan of USA Today:
He’s never been taken down in the UFC, ever,” said White. “He’s got the most bantamweight finishes in UFC and WEC history. Even after how great Jon Jones looked at UFC 172, the more I start to dig into this thing and look at it, I think you have to say that Renan Barao is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.
At first glance, the reasoning behind this is sound; greatness is recognized by results, and those of Barao are quite impressive.
But that is only half the equation, and it doesn’t even take into account the other fighters who have enjoyed such high praise who are still at the top of their game. White addressed the central question regarding the pound-for-pound term, but seemed to lose sight of the fact that a great record alone is not the be-all and end-all of the debate.
“Pound-for-pound means if everybody was the same size, who would win,” White said. “This kid [Barao] has got the stats to prove it.”
But prove what, exactly—that he could beat Jon Jones or Jose Aldo if they were in the same weight class?
At a certain point, a record alone cannot indicate who would win if two pound-for-pound luminaries were to meet on an even playing field. Obviously, when there is a weight difference involved, speculation is all we have, and pure numbers have always been the true cornerstone for analysis.
But there are also factors of speed, power, explosiveness, conditioning, fluidity, poise and so much more; factors that are not usually factored into the final tally of wins and loses.
And of course, there is the ever-important clash of styles.
Even before his loss to Dillashaw, it seemed hard for me to fathom that Barao could beat a fighter as skilled, powerful and fast as Aldo. It’s not that Barao couldn’t beat Aldo—we will never know until they actually fight—but given Aldo’s talents and physical gifts, it seems as if Barao would be a beat behind the music for most of such a fight.
And what of Jones? Granted, he had his hands full against Alexander Gustafsson, but Gustafsson and Barao are vastly different fighters. Would Barao be able to nullify the grappling and takedown game of a fighter like Jones, just because he boasts an impressive record that never saw him face an opponent like Jones?
These are the kind of intangibles that can never be fully addressed where the pound-for-pound debate is concerned.
When Dillashaw dominated Barao, round after round, while shocking, it was not that far removed from the realm of possibility. After all, Chris Weidman, sporting a record of a mere 10-0, defeated a man who was then considered by most as the greatest P4P fighter in the world, Anderson Silva.
Then, there is another wrinkle; does a loss suddenly mean that a fighter like Barao is no longer as good as he was before? If that is the case, then imagine the chaos in the debate that would ensue if Anderson Silva, coming off back-to-back losses, were to suddenly take a superfight with Jon Jones and defeat him?
It’s a long and tangled web that more often than not loses sight of the fact that great fighters can lose and good fighters can prove themselves great, but they are all capable of great highs and shocking lows on a night-by-night basis.
Barao suffered a tough setback at UFC 173, which by necessity calls into question his inclusion in the P4P debate. But that does not diminish the one thing that he can stand proudly upon: He’s a great fighter who has won far more than he has lost.
When you are fighting in the biggest promotion in the sport, an impressive record reflects a fact that means more than any hypothetical judgment.
TJ Dillashaw shocked the world at UFC 173.
The No. 4-ranked contender was written off before the fight. The confident Team Alpha Male fighter knew something the majority of the world did not. He stepped into the cage and completely dominated Renan Bara…
The No. 4-ranked contender was written off before the fight. The confident Team Alpha Male fighter knew something the majority of the world did not. He stepped into the cage and completely dominated RenanBarao for more than four rounds before finishing the fight.
Everything changed in the very first round when Dillashaw dropped the champion.
When Barao fell, the crowd arose. There was a sense that Dillashaw was the real deal, and he could very well upset the champion.
The challenger looked sharp from the get-go. His footwork and head movement were reminiscent of former champion Dominick Cruz. He was fast. Dillashaw was in and out quickly. He attacked up and down with punches and kicks.
It was the perfect send-off for head coach Duane Ludwig, who will now leave Team Alpha Male. His protege perfected the game plan to destroy a top pound-for-pound fighter.
He feinted effectively. Barao looked befuddled at the movement.
Dillashaw connected on Barao, and when the power shot came to floor the Brazilian, the fight looked like it could be over quickly. The champion was able to survive, but Dillashaw stayed within himself not to blow his gas tank going for a finish that was unlikely to happen.
Following the knockdown, Barao was finished.
He never recovered. He looked slow, plodding and like he was thinking too much. Dillashaw had him confused. He was never sure as to what Dillashaw was going to do next. It was a masterful performance that earned Dillashaw a Performance of the Night bonus.
There are not enough adjectives to accurately state how stellar Dillashaw was at UFC 173.
The opening round of the main event was reminiscent of Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia from UFC 68 in Columbus, Ohio.
Couture clocked Sylvia with a big shot early in the fight, and Sylvia never recovered. Couture rode out the decision victory, but Dillashaw was able to finish his fight against Barao. It highlights how difficult it is to recover from a devastating knockdown early in a fight and how drastically it can alter a bout.
Even without the knockdown, it was going to be a difficult fight for Barao. That is how on point Dillashaw was on Saturday.
Who knows how this fight plays out if Dillashaw does not land that early knockdown blow. What we do know is that after Dillashaw landed that punch, Barao was never able to get back into the fight. It was the moment that changed everything.
Dillashaw stole the show and became the new bantamweight champion in the process.
UFC 173 was an exciting event. There were quality performances throughout the card, but only two would earn some extra money. And only one fight could earn the title of Fight of the Night.
UFC President Dana White and Co. had some tough decisions to ma…
UFC 173 was an exciting event. There were quality performances throughout the card, but only two would earn some extra money. And only one fight could earn the title of Fight of the Night.
UFC President Dana White and Co. had some tough decisions to make.
TJ Dillashaw became the new UFC bantamweight titleholder, Daniel Cormier dominated Dan Henderson and Robbie Lawler outclassed Jake Ellenberger. And those were only the premier bouts that everyone was anticipating on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
The undercard also delivered. But who would come away with some extra checks?
Let’s take a look at your performance bonus winners.
Performance of the Night: Mitch Clarke
Mitch Clarke had one of the more surprising performances at UFC 173.
Al Iaquinta was dominating the action. Clarke was not being outclassed, but Iaquinta was controlling the action. Clarke looked out of sorts.
Iaquinta gave the savvy Clarke a small window of opportunity, and in MMA that is all it takes.
Clarke laced up a brabo choke and put Iaquinta to sleep in a matter of seconds. Iaquinta went seemingly cross-eyed as Clarke squeezed the air out of him. It was a serene violence. The submission put Clarke on the map in the division, and it earned him a little extra pocket change.
Performance of the Night: TJ Dillashaw
There was no question that Dillashaw was going to earn a performance bonus on Saturday.
His championship-winning performance could be the performance of the year thus far in MMA. It was a complete domination of one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world. The speed, footwork and head movement confused Barao in each and every round.
Dillashaw looked simply phenomenal.
This was a special performance by Dillashaw, and one that fans should not take for granted. These performances are rarely seen.
It is not often that we see a one-sided affair win Fight of the Night, but that is how special Dillashaw‘s performance was.
It ignited the crowd.
The stunning showing from the challenger, now champion, put fans on their feet. It was something unexpected. More importantly for this award, it was non-stop action. Dillashaw did not stop moving. He was in, out and around Barao for nearly 25 minutes of action.
Barao recovered from a near knockout in the first round, but he could never get into the fight. He connected a few times. Dillashaw was too good on Saturday. He looked the role of a pound-for-pound great. He took what Barao had. All of the momentum is now his.
Dillashaw never relented. He never took his foot off the gas pedal. He did not leave this fight in the hands of the judges. He went out and finished the champion in the fifth and final round. He did exactly what was needed to make himself a star in this sport.
As you probably saw or heard, Renan Barao was defeated by TJ Dillashaw at UFC 173. Not just defeated, either.
“Manhandled” is an appropriate word. “Outclassed” works, too. “Slapped around” if you’re feeling nasty.
It was hypnotizing.
Slice it an…
As you probably saw or heard, Renan Barao was defeated by TJ Dillashaw at UFC 173. Not just defeated, either.
“Manhandled” is an appropriate word. “Outclassed” works, too. “Slapped around” if you’re feeling nasty.
It was hypnotizing.
Slice it any way you want, Barao is a downright fearsome striker. Dillashaw, though, slipped around him, peppering him with punches and kicks to the body and head for the entire length of the fight. In the fifth round, he clipped him with a head-kick and followed it with a right hook that floored Barao. He swarmed on him with punches afterward and got referee Herb Dean to wave it off at 2:26 of the final round.
There is no way to downplay how impressive Dillashaw was. He beat the best in his weight class at his own game. Badly. He showed that he is a true champion.
Barao, meanwhile, unequivocally showed that he isn’t.
That’s a harsh thing to say, of course. He’s a fighter who puts his life on the line in a sport that requires superhuman levels of cajones. For him to have the success he has had, he must be something special.
And of course, Barao is something special. It’s impossible to say he isn’t.
The old saying, however, is that “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” It holds true in MMA for all the greatest champions of today and yesterday.
When Demetrious Johnson found himself down two rounds John Dodson, he lived up to the occasion, found his range and took the fight back after being battered through the first 10 minutes.
Jon Jones had his eye socket ventilated by Alexander Gustafsson, but kept his belt by mustering up two strong rounds against a fighter that was every bit his equal.
Johny Hendricks battled back from a beating at the hands of Robbie Lawler, and would take the fight and the belt by putting in a strong final frame.
Barao found himself in the same situation as other champions. When his push, his looping hooks and deadly kicks were returned with an emphatic shove in the form of a right hook that put him on his butt in the first round? He backed down.
From that point on in the fight, he was tentative. Slow. Dare I say it…scared. That invited Dillashaw to expand his lead and, even as his coaches and cornermen begged for him to take the fight to the ground, he reared back, putting forward a token resistance, but little else.
So what did we learn?
Renan Barao doesn’t have the heart of a champion. This may change, of course. He still has plenty of years left in the sport, and we’ve seen legends in the sport battle back from worse than this loss right here.
Right now, though, he just isn’t up to snuff with TJ Dillashaw. Never even mind all those fighters who have always sat above him on the pound-for-pound lists.
UFC 173 lit up Memorial Day weekend on Saturday night, offering a solid night of fights for MMA fans looking for their fix.
TJ Dillashaw shocked the world with not only a win but also a pure domination of Renan Barao, Daniel Cormier officially staked h…
UFC 173 lit up Memorial Day weekend on Saturday night, offering a solid night of fights for MMA fans looking for their fix.
TJ Dillashaw shocked the world with not only a win but also a pure domination of Renan Barao, Daniel Cormier officially staked his claim to the top of the 205-pound division and Robbie Lawler showed that he’s still the contender to beat at welterweight going forward.
All in all, it was not a bad way to spend an evening. Here are the grades for those who took to the Octagon.
It seems that whenever a supporter of a fighter wants to elevate his name, he is elevated as a pound-for-pound great. Be it fans, writers or