Tag: Renan Barao

T.J. Dillashaw Has to Win

T.J. Dillashaw’s competitive streak started at an early age.
Dillashaw is the son of two highly competitive parents. He has two brothers. And growing up, even casual situations were often turned into a chance to win.
For example: The Dillashaw family h…

T.J. Dillashaw‘s competitive streak started at an early age.

Dillashaw is the son of two highly competitive parents. He has two brothers. And growing up, even casual situations were often turned into a chance to win.

For example: The Dillashaw family had two cars, and they would often split up. T.J. sometimes rode with his dad, and his brothers piled into their mom’s car. A simple drive from point A to point B morphed from a leisurely drive into a chance to score a victory over the rest of the family.

T.J. and his dad had to win. They had to be the first to arrive at their destination.

“I don’t care what it takes. We’re running red lights. We’re cutting them off,” Dillashaw tells Bleacher Report. “I think that’s where it all started. I had two brothers and competitive parents. They just bred me that way.”

All fighters are competitive by nature. It’s a rule for any professional athlete because winning is the only thing that matters.

But Dillashaw may be the most competitive fighter I’ve ever met.

Joseph Benavidez, his Team Alpha Male teammate, once told me that Dillashaw has to win at everything. Checkers? Chess? Volleyball? Board games? Dillashaw will do anything to win.

Urijah Faber noted that Dillashaw displayed the same intensity on the first day he began training with the team. He was green behind the ears and nowhere near the complete fighter he would become. But that didn’t stop Dillashaw from going 100 percent, from trying to beat Faber and Benavidez and the others.

I have seen his intense competitive nature before. Before his 2013 fight against Issei Tamura, I saw Dillashaw backstage, preparing to walk to the Octagon. As he paced back and forth waiting for his music to hit, Dillashaw began screaming.

It was as intense a moment as I’ve ever seen from a fighter. And it was scary, if we are being honest.

It is a trait that permeates every area of his life. He has to be the best at everything.

“When it comes to board games, you try every trick you can to beat someone. When it comes to fighting, you want to be a respectable opponent,” Dillashaw says. “But other than that, I’ll do anything I can to win.

“It’s tough, especially when it’s bred into you. You just want to be the best.”

After a recent kickboxing session with coach Duane Ludwig, Dillashaw picked up his phone. He noticed several text messages and missed calls from his manager, Mike Roberts. Dillashaw figured his scheduled opponent, Takeya Mizugaki, was injured.

When Dillashaw got home, he called Roberts and asked if Mizugaki was out of the fight. Roberts told him he had a new opponent, but it was Renan Barao, and it was for the bantamweight title. Roberts, knowing Dillashaw would say yes, had already accepted the UFC 173 main event bout on his behalf.

Dillashaw let out a scream.

“I couldn’t help but just shout. I was very excited,” he says. “Luckily, I was at home, so I didn’t scare anybody other than my dog.”

It is the perfect scenario for Dillashaw. He has twice gone through the process of helping Faber get ready for bouts against Barao. And so, in a way, this is his third training camp preparing for Barao.

“I was there every step of the way to help Urijah get ready for him,” he says.

This time, it is Faber’s turn to help Dillashaw prepare for a title fight. Dillashaw will likely be a heavy underdog to Barao. The champion hasn’t lost a fight in years and is entrenched near the top of the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings.

But Barao‘s lofty status won’t affect Dillashaw‘s preparation. Not one bit. He plans on going in the Octagon and winning because winning is everything.

Winning is the only thing, in fights or board games or even a weekend drive with his parents.

“I have been raised to win,” Dillashaw says. “You do everything you can to win.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Renan Barao vs. TJ Dillashaw Bantamweight Title Fight Booked as New UFC 173 Main Event


(“Renan Barao is a MONSTER!” — Barao’s dance coach. / Photo via Getty)

Coming off his first unified bantamweight title defense against Urijah Faber in February, Renan Barao will return to the Octagon at UFC 173 (May 24th, Las Vegas), where he’ll take on Team Alpha Male’s TJ Dillashaw in the main event. UFC 173 was originally supposed to be headlined by the middleweight title bout between Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida, but that match was bumped to July due to Weidman’s knee injury.

Dillashaw had already been booked to face Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 173, but he’s now been promoted to a championship fight, despite being on a one-fight win streak. (It should be mentioned that Mizugaki has won his last four fights. Asian brother can’t get no love, man?) As MMA Junkie reports, the far-more-deserving Raphael Assuncao was also being considered for Barao’s opponent, but lingering injuries will keep the Brazilian contender sidelined a while longer.

Essentially, Renan Barao vs. TJ Dillashaw is one of those title fights that was thrown together out of convenience and desperation. Due to a recent wave of injured champions, the UFC’s options are very limited right now in terms of arranging big fights on short notice. To put it gently, most UFC fans will probably decide to save their $55 when May 24th rolls around, when you consider that the current UFC 173 main card lineup looks like this…


(“Renan Barao is a MONSTER!” — Barao’s dance coach. / Photo via Getty)

Coming off his first unified bantamweight title defense against Urijah Faber in February, Renan Barao will return to the Octagon at UFC 173 (May 24th, Las Vegas), where he’ll take on Team Alpha Male’s TJ Dillashaw in the main event. UFC 173 was originally supposed to be headlined by the middleweight title bout between Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida, but that match was bumped to July due to Weidman’s knee injury.

Dillashaw had already been booked to face Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 173, but he’s now been promoted to a championship fight, despite being on a one-fight win streak. (It should be mentioned that Mizugaki has won his last four fights. Asian brother can’t get no love, man?) As MMA Junkie reports, the far-more-deserving Raphael Assuncao was also being considered for Barao’s opponent, but lingering injuries will keep the Brazilian contender sidelined a while longer.

Essentially, Renan Barao vs. TJ Dillashaw is one of those title fights that was thrown together out of convenience and desperation. Due to a recent wave of injured champions, the UFC’s options are very limited right now in terms of arranging big fights on short notice. To put it gently, most UFC fans will probably decide to save their $55 when May 24th rolls around, when you consider that the current UFC 173 main card lineup looks like this…

Renan Barão vs. TJ Dillashaw*
Junior dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic**
Takeya Mizugaki vs. TBD***
Tony Ferguson vs. Katsunori Kikuno****
Jamie Varner vs. James Krause*****

* Bantamweights are a weak PPV draw even under the best circumstances. Keep in mind that Barao only pulled in 230,000 buys against Urijah Faber, and Jose Aldo was on the same card.

** OK, at least the co-main event is solid.

*** Yikes. Of course, it’s possible that a prelim fight will be promoted to the main card, but it’s not like there’s a lot to choose from there, either. UPDATE: Mizugaki will now be fighting Francisco Rivera on the main card.

**** Ferguson’s always entertaining, but he’s fighting a guy who made his UFC debut on the prelims of the Royston Wee Fight Pass card.

***** For a “loser might get fired” fight, it could be worse.

Renan Barao vs. T.J. Dillashaw Is the New UFC 173 Main Event

A bantamweight title fight between reigning champion Renan Barao and T.J. Dillashaw will headline UFC 173 on May 24.
Sources close to the promotion confirmed the story with Bleacher Report on Thursday night. 
The bout is a replacement for the orig…

A bantamweight title fight between reigning champion Renan Barao and T.J. Dillashaw will headline UFC 173 on May 24.

Sources close to the promotion confirmed the story with Bleacher Report on Thursday night. 

The bout is a replacement for the originally scheduled main event between Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida, which itself was a replacement for the planned main event between Weidman and Vitor Belfort. Weidman was forced to postpone his participation in the bout due to lingering knee issues, and it was ultimately moved to the main event of UFC 175 in July.

Sources close to the bout told Bleacher Report that Raphael Assuncao was the next likely contender for Barao’s title. But Assuncao wasn’t going to be healthy enough to fight by May, and his camp was pushing for a July or August fight date instead. With few other options remaining, UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby pulled the trigger and gave Dillashaw the title fight.

For the last nine years, Barao has remained undefeated, with his only career loss coming in his very first professional fight. Since then, he has become one of the very best fighters on the planet and currently ranks No. 3 in the world on the UFC’s official pound-for-pound rankings. Once the interim bantamweight champion, he became the official belt holder when former champion Dominick Cruz was forced to go back on the shelf with another injury earlier this year.

Barao defeated Urijah Faber in his last bout. Dillashaw, meanwhile, is coming off a win over Mike Easton. He has only lost twice since joining the UFC, dropping his first official UFC bout to John Dodson in the finals of The Ultimate Fighter 14 and then losing to Assuncao last October.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Renan Barao vs. T.J. Dillashaw Is the New UFC 173 Main Event

A bantamweight title fight between reigning champion Renan Barao and T.J. Dillashaw will headline UFC 173 on May 24.
Sources close to the promotion confirmed the story with Bleacher Report on Thursday night. 
The bout is a replacement for the orig…

A bantamweight title fight between reigning champion Renan Barao and T.J. Dillashaw will headline UFC 173 on May 24.

Sources close to the promotion confirmed the story with Bleacher Report on Thursday night. 

The bout is a replacement for the originally scheduled main event between Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida, which itself was a replacement for the planned main event between Weidman and Vitor Belfort. Weidman was forced to postpone his participation in the bout due to lingering knee issues, and it was ultimately moved to the main event of UFC 175 in July.

Sources close to the bout told Bleacher Report that Raphael Assuncao was the next likely contender for Barao’s title. But Assuncao wasn’t going to be healthy enough to fight by May, and his camp was pushing for a July or August fight date instead. With few other options remaining, UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby pulled the trigger and gave Dillashaw the title fight.

For the last nine years, Barao has remained undefeated, with his only career loss coming in his very first professional fight. Since then, he has become one of the very best fighters on the planet and currently ranks No. 3 in the world on the UFC’s official pound-for-pound rankings. Once the interim bantamweight champion, he became the official belt holder when former champion Dominick Cruz was forced to go back on the shelf with another injury earlier this year.

Barao defeated Urijah Faber in his last bout. Dillashaw, meanwhile, is coming off a win over Mike Easton. He has only lost twice since joining the UFC, dropping his first official UFC bout to John Dodson in the finals of The Ultimate Fighter 14 and then losing to Assuncao last October.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Demetrious Johnson or Renan Barao: Who Is the Better Pound-for-Pound Fighter?

The pound-for-pound debates continue on, and they will never cease. Why? Because there is no definitive way of knowing the answer to the question of who is the best fighter regardless of weight class.
That does not stop us from wondering, debating and…

The pound-for-pound debates continue on, and they will never cease. Why? Because there is no definitive way of knowing the answer to the question of who is the best fighter regardless of weight class.

That does not stop us from wondering, debating and breaking it down, however. That is why we will take a look at two of the most entertaining and technically proficient fighters in the UFC today: Demetrious Johnson and Renan Barao.

Who is the better fighter?

First, we should understand what pound-for-pound really means.

On its most basic level, pound-for-pound applies to the best technical fighter regardless of weight class—who would win if they were able to fight each other on ability alone.

However, it goes deeper than that. If flyweight champion Johnson were to go up to heavyweight against champion Cain Velasquez, he would still be overmatched even at the same weight. Measurables such as height and reach would still come into play.

To answer the question, we must assume that all those attributes are equal—including speed. It is about technical ability alone.

This is why I protest Jon Jones being the No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC today. Technically speaking, he is still growing as a fighter. His greatest asset is knowing how to use his physical gifts.

His ability to utilize his length has been phenomenal, but what happened when he finally faced a fighter of similar physical gifts? Alexander Gustafsson pushed him to the brink.

Johnson and Barao have showcased incredible well-rounded skill inside the Octagon. They have been able to stake their claim as potentially being the best in the world.

Their FightMetric stats, shown side by side, are close. Barao has more significant strikes landed per minute (SLpM), but his accuracy is lower. Johnson absorbs less significant strikes per minute (SApM), but his defense is a percentage point behind Barao.

Barao is the more noted striker of the two. He has better kicks and a more diverse arsenal, but Johnson’s technique is near impeccable. He is one of the best wrestlers in MMA today due to how well he blends his wrestling with his striking, but Barao is one of the best at defending takedowns at 96 percent.

This is a case of splitting hairs.

It is hard to overlook Barao‘s incredible run. He is unbeaten in his last 33 bouts with 32 wins. Johnson has lost two of his last 12 bouts, but both were close fights in a higher weight classification.

The two 27-year-old fighters would make for an amazing matchup if all things were equal. Who would you take?

If I were forced to choose, I would side with Johnson.

The lone reason is that he has shown the ability to meld all of his skills together at the highest of levels.

“Mighty Mouse” blends his striking and wrestling together better than anyone, has shown knockout power and also boasts submission acumen. Barao has incredible striking and a proficient submission game, but his takedowns are not as crisp.

That is the difference.

Johnson outstrikes the best strikers in his division and outwrestles the best wrestlers. Barao does also but to a lesser extent.

There is no wrong answer. If one prefers Barao‘s stellar performances to Johnson’s, there is little argument to be had. They are the cream of the crop in MMA today. Their technical abilities are second to none. These two champions represent the apex of the sport.

Who do you think is the better pound-for-pound fighter between them? Debate it in the comment section below.

Barao is ranked No. 3 in the pound-for-pound rankings, while Johnson is right behind him at No. 5. Both champions are awaiting their next challenger, as no title fights have been made.

 

Statistics courtesy of FightMetric.com. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

The Pay-Per-View Buyrate Estimates for UFC 169 and UFC 170 Are Not Awesome


(Ronda Rousey might actually be the biggest star the UFC has. Unfortunately, that’s not saying much. / Photo via Getty)

According to Dave Meltzer’s latest pay-per-view buyrate column on MMAFighting.com, the first two UFC PPV events of 2014 didn’t exactly blow the doors down.

Let’s start with UFC 169: Barao vs. Faber 2 on February 1st, which featured two championship fights (including a featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo and Ricardo Lamas in the co-main event), and a solid heavyweight feature between Alistair Overeem and Frank Mir. That show took in just 230,000 buys, by Meltzer’s estimates — the lowest total for a UFC PPV since last summer, when UFC 161 and UFC 163 completely crapped the bed. It’s worth noting that the first time Urijah Faber and Renan Barao headlined a pay-per-view (UFC 149), it pulled in a nearly identical number. Maybe the California Kid isn’t quite the superstar we’ve made him out to be.

Holding an event on a weekend when so much attention was focused on the Super Bowl gives the UFC a convenient excuse as to why UFC 169 may have underperformed. But it still doesn’t bode well for the promotion’s ability to sell pay-per-views for events headlined by male fighters under 155 pounds. UFC 169 featured Renan Barao, Urijah Faber, Jose Aldo — the only absent sub-155 star was Dominick Cruz — and they still barely cleared the UFC Mendoza Line of 200k buys.

The good news (or bad news, depending on how you look at it) is that Ronda Rousey is a bigger draw completely on her own than Barao, Faber, and, Aldo put together…


(Ronda Rousey might actually be the biggest star the UFC has. Unfortunately, that’s not saying much. / Photo via Getty)

According to Dave Meltzer’s latest pay-per-view buyrate column on MMAFighting.com, the first two UFC PPV events of 2014 didn’t exactly blow the doors down.

Let’s start with UFC 169: Barao vs. Faber 2 on February 1st, which featured two championship fights (including a featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo and Ricardo Lamas in the co-main event), and a solid heavyweight feature between Alistair Overeem and Frank Mir. That show took in just 230,000 buys, by Meltzer’s estimates — the lowest total for a UFC PPV since last summer, when UFC 161 and UFC 163 completely crapped the bed. It’s worth noting that the first time Urijah Faber and Renan Barao headlined a pay-per-view (UFC 149), it pulled in a nearly identical number. Maybe the California Kid isn’t quite the superstar we’ve made him out to be.

Holding an event on a weekend when so much attention was focused on the Super Bowl gives the UFC a convenient excuse as to why UFC 169 may have underperformed. But it still doesn’t bode well for the promotion’s ability to sell pay-per-views for events headlined by male fighters under 155 pounds. UFC 169 featured Renan Barao, Urijah Faber, Jose Aldo — the only absent sub-155 star was Dominick Cruz — and they still barely cleared the UFC Mendoza Line of 200k buys.

The good news (or bad news, depending on how you look at it) is that Ronda Rousey is a bigger draw completely on her own than Barao, Faber, and, Aldo put together. Meltzer reports that UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann on February 22nd collected an estimated 340,000 pay-per-view buys, with a much weaker supporting card than UFC 169 had. (Two words: Durkin Cummins.) When you consider that Rousey also helped UFC 168 become the first million-selling pay-per-view since 2010, it’s undeniable that the women’s bantamweight champ has become an essential part of the UFC’s business.

Of course, 340k buys doesn’t sound like a huge number — and it isn’t, if you compare it to, say, 2009, when every single UFC pay-per-view did 350k buys or better. Or, if you compare it to Rousey’s first UFC headliner against Liz Carmouche in February 2013, which pulled 450k buys, driven by the novelty value of the UFC’s first women’s title fight. But UFC 170′s PPV performance is more impressive when you compare it to recent UFC title fights featuring guys who are allegedly stars in allegedly marquee divisions. UFC 164: Henderson vs. Pettis did 270k buys. UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson did between 300k-325k buys, and UFC 166: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 3 drew “in the same range or very sightly up.” Ronda Rousey edged them all out, and she did so against a opponent (Sara McMann) who was a virtual unknown to casual fans, who Rousey had no personal rivalry with, in a fight that was thrown together on less than two months’ notice. That’s kind of amazing, actually.

So, is Ronda Rousey the biggest star the UFC has ever had, as UFC president Dana White likes to say after huffing gas? Well, she could have a solid argument for being the biggest UFC star that the UFC has right now. Although it should be mentioned that UFC 170′s live gate of $1,558,870 fell well below expectations.

Lets be real: 2014 is going to be a rough one for the UFC, pay-per-view wise. Anthony Pettis and Cain Velasquez won’t return until the end of this year, and Johny Hendricks will most likely be out until the fall. Ronda Rousey literally has nobody to fight right now, and the male featherweight/bantamweight/flyweight divisions simply don’t draw. UFC 173 has a cool poster, but probably not blockbuster potential. Anderson Silva won’t return this year, and Georges St-Pierre’s return depends on the UFC overhauling its drug-testing policies, which ain’t gonna happen any time soon.

And so, 340k buys represents a new high-water mark, which only a small handful of UFC PPVs will be able to clear this year. Most likely, the buyrate trend will continue to drop as the UFC shifts its attention to small-scale international shows, while the burned-out North American fanbase is content to watch the UFC’s free FOX/FS1/FS2 events and skip the ones that cost $55 simply because there’s a belt on the line in the main event.

The next UFC pay-per-view is UFC 172: Jones vs. Teixeira on April 26th — a light-heavyweight title fight that will probably pull around 300k buys. That’s just the way it is, now.

–BG