Tag: Renan Barao

Renan Barao’s Bantamweight Title Reign Coming into Focus

Renan Barao is the UFC bantamweight champion.
The words may flow easy, and the idea is one fans are starting to grasp, but the subject itself has become a complex matter where an explanation is required.
Perhaps the strangest aspect of the situation is…

Renan Barao is the UFC bantamweight champion.

The words may flow easy, and the idea is one fans are starting to grasp, but the subject itself has become a complex matter where an explanation is required.

Perhaps the strangest aspect of the situation is that it has very little to do with Barao himself. The Nova Uniao product has lived up to his end of the deal every step of the way by doing the one thing required of a fighter who hopes to become a champion—win—and he’s done that at every turn. 

The 26-year-old Brazilian phenom has been a wrecking ball since joining the Zuffa banner via the WEC back in 2010. He’s won all eight of his showings inside the cage, and in the process has collected and defended the interim title on two occasions.

In the eyes of some, he’s the reigning and defending champion of the bantamweight division, but being the “interim champion” is just one tricky detail in a string questionable decisions made by the organization he champions.

The biggest obstacle in the figurative—and what could prove to be the literal sense, as well—is the original 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz. “The Dominator” was blitzing through the opposition in the bantamweight division until an unfortunate knee injury suffered during his preparation to face Urijah Faber at UFC 148 forced him to the sidelines. Such was the severity of his injury that the UFC decided to put an interim title in play, and put that belt up for grabs when Barao squared off with Faber at UFC 149 in 2012.

Barao defeated Faber via unanimous decision to claim the strap and figured to meet Cruz in the short term to handle the matter of title unification. The situation sounded ideal, but Cruz’s body rejected the repair, and the story carried on.

While the belt he had in his possession was of the replacement variety, it had zero bearing on Barao. In his mind, he was the bantamweight champion and went about the business of defending his title. As for Cruz, his return to action continued to be delayed, and Barao‘s performances began to put Cruz’s status as top dog at 135 pounds in serious doubt.

Adding to the matter was the stance of Dana White. For the first year of Cruz’s absence, the UFC President was adamant about the Team Alliance fighter’s position as the legitimate champion of the 135-pound collective. There was no sway in White’s opinion on the matter. Cruz was the outright champion, and he wouldn’t be stripped of the title under any circumstance. 

Nevertheless, after the Brazilian fighter’s win over “The California Kid” and an impressive submission victory over young upstart Michael McDonald at UFC on Fuel TV 7 back in February, the UFC head honcho was peppered with questions regarding which of the two fighters held claim as the divisional champion.

White held steadfast to his original sentiment that Cruz would not be stripped under any circumstance, and once again Barao simply carried on. It was again proposed Cruz would return later in the year and a unification bout would take place, but further complications with his knee injury erased such possibility, and the interim champion would put his title on the line against Eddie Wineland.

The questions about the bantamweight title would once again return in the lead up to Barao versus Wineland at UFC 165, and even more so in the aftermath. Barao scored a highlight reel knockout over the Indiana native in the second round of their tilt, doing so on one of the biggest cards of the year.

Following Barao‘s victory in Toronto, there was a change in White’s tune regarding the bantamweight title. Where he once touted Cruz being the promotion’s top 135-pound fighter, now he was holding Barao in equal light. Even further to the point, White began to set the framework of circumstances for Cruz to return.

During the post-fight press conference for UFC 165, White told the media in attendance Cruz would have to face Barao some time in early 2014 to unify the titles, and if he was unable to do so, a decision would have to be made. At that time, Cruz was just shy of being out of action for two years, but that mark has since come and gone.

And it doesn’t stop there.

White has addressed the topic several times in recent weeks and shared his thoughts on the matter, but none were more poignant than what he said on Monday during a conference call to promote the upcoming Fight Night 29 card in Brazil. In speaking on the matter, White admitted the promotion may not have handled the situation correctly, choosing to let Cruz keep his title because of the slew of misfortunes the 26-year-old had already suffered.

“Do I think we let it play out too long? Maybe,” White said. “I feel bad for the kid. It’s one thing to have all these injuries and have that thing taken away from him, that big fight, plus him and Faber wanted to fight each other and then to strip him of the title too? You just couldn’t kick a guy more when he’s down.

“This is one of those situations where Dominick Cruz is a good kid, he’s a great champion, he was supposed to fight Urijah Faber at the end of that season of The Ultimate Fighter, which he’s a champion, he gets a piece of pay-per-view and that fight was supposed to be on the Anderson Silva/Chael Sonnen card. Which was the home run for him, it’s literally a lottery ticket on how much money that kid would have made.”

White also revealed the organization is in the process of setting up guidelines for future interim situations in the case of a champion being injured. While nothing definitive is yet in place, White did state the UFC would handle the situation in structured fashion going forward.

That being said, no matter how things have played out on that side of the fence regarding the bantamweight title, Barao has carried on impressively. With each performance, he has continued to impress. After each victory he has used his post-fight speech to mention how much he’d like to fight Cruz to unify the belts. All he can control is what happens inside the Octagon, and the rest is simply the rest until the time comes where the issue can be resolved.

Throughout it all, Barao has maintained his motivation, focus and composure; all things which have not gone unnoticed by coach and mentor Andre Pederneiras. The Nova Uniao leader has been extremely impressed with how his fighter has handled his journey to the top of the sport and believes it is a place he will remain for years to come. 

“Since his first training at Nova Uniao, I could see a kid that has a great potential to be a champion,” Pederneiras told Bleacher Report. “Barao is amazing and deserves the place he is now. I’m sure he will stay on the top for a long time. This kid is young, strong, and already had a great MMA experience. He will be one of the greatest MMA fighters.”

As the road to unification of the bantamweight title shapes up, the focus will become Cruz’s recovery and return to action. Prior to his injury, the San Diego-based fighter was on his way to establishing a dominant hold over the 135-pound division. His performances inside the cage were so impressive, his name began to pop up on “pound-for-pound” lists throughout the sport.

That being said, his last showing under the UFC banner came in a successful title defense against Demetrious Johnson back in October of 2011. In the two years that have passed, the 28-year-old Californian has been forced to deal with the disappointment and frustrations which have come as the result of his body refusing to comply with the demands of what his rigorous trade requires.

Where setbacks of this nature would have been enough to sink most, Cruz has been largely optimistic about his return to the cage. The bantamweight title holder has provided updates on his rehabilitation via his personal Twitter, all in hopes of facing Barao for title unification in early 2014.

Nevertheless, should Cruz suffer another setback and be unable to face Barao next year, the questions regarding the interim title will dissolve. While White is also optimistic about the champion’s return and the two champions squaring off to determine supremacy would be ideal, he also understands the time to make a firm decision is rapidly approaching.

“He’s training. He’s very confident he’s going to be back at the beginning of the year,” White said on Wednesday’s conference call. “I think we’ve made it pretty clear what’s going to happen if he’s not.”

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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UFC to Set Time Limit on How Long Injured Champs *Cough*DominickCruz*Cough* Can Be Inactive Before Being Stripped of Titles


(“Wheeeeeeee!” / Photo via @TheDomin8r)

UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has had horrible luck over the past two years. He’s torn the ACL in his knee twice, endured multiple surgeries, and has not fought a single time. Yet, he’s remained the official champion of the division while interim titlist Renan Barao has defended his belt twice.

Cruz hopes to be back early in 2014 and head straight into a unification bout against Barao. If he doesn’t, however, he may finally find himself stripped of his title. And according to UFC president Dana White, the organization will now make plans to set a time limit for how long champs can stay champs while sidelined.

“We have thought about it, and we will do it,” White told members of the media Monday. “We’re probably going to do that soon.”

It is about time the UFC did this. We don’t have a negative word to say about Cruz who has earned everything he’s ever gotten and who we feel genuinely bad for given all his bad luck, but it looks plain silly for Barao to be only an interim champion at this point. White seems to agree with those conflicted feelings.

“It’s a combination of me feeling really bad for him, and him being such a good person. … Do I think we let it play out too long? Maybe. But if I look at who the champion is, then I say no. I feel bad for the kid,” White said.


(“Wheeeeeeee!” / Photo via @TheDomin8r)

UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has had horrible luck over the past two years. He’s torn the ACL in his knee twice, endured multiple surgeries, and has not fought a single time. Yet, he’s remained the official champion of the division while interim titlist Renan Barao has defended his belt twice.

Cruz hopes to be back early in 2014 and head straight into a unification bout against Barao. If he doesn’t, however, he may finally find himself stripped of his title. And according to UFC president Dana White, the organization will now make plans to set a time limit for how long champs can stay champs while sidelined.

“We have thought about it, and we will do it,” White told members of the media Monday. “We’re probably going to do that soon.”

It is about time the UFC did this. We don’t have a negative word to say about Cruz who has earned everything he’s ever gotten and who we feel genuinely bad for given all his bad luck, but it looks plain silly for Barao to be only an interim champion at this point. White seems to agree with those conflicted feelings.

“It’s a combination of me feeling really bad for him, and him being such a good person. … Do I think we let it play out too long? Maybe. But if I look at who the champion is, then I say no. I feel bad for the kid,” White said.

Uncle Dana says that he doesn’t expect for it to come to stripping Cruz of his title since he believes the champ will be ready to fight Barao in early 2014. “He is very confident that he’s going to be back at the beginning of the year,” White said.

“And I think we’ve made it pretty clear what’s going to happen if he’s not.”

The UFC hasn’t made the consequences quite so clear in the past, but it’s encouraging to see that they are beginning to. Well, encouraging to Renan Barao, at least — not so much for Dominick Cruz, whose dusty title belt now has an expiration date.

– Elias Cepeda

Nova Uniao Head Trainer Confirms Renan Barao Is Totally Being Screwed by That Whole “Interim” Title


(And to think, if the guy on the left had won, we’d have a new outright champion by now. Photo via Getty.)

October 1st will mark the two year anniversary (?) of the last time we saw bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defend his title in the octagon. Multiple ACL tears and a rejected cadaver ligament transplant have seen the once dominant champion sidelined ever since his 2011 battle with now flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. As such, the bantamweight division has been stuck in a perpetual state of limbo, frustrating fans, fighters and most importantly, Dominick Cruz.

But perhaps the only person more frustrated by Cruz’s arduous road to recovery than the champ himself is interim title holder Renan Barao, who recently became the first fighter in UFC history to defend said title twice (via a second round KO of Eddie Wineland at UFC 165). Actually, Barao is the first fighter in UFC history to ever defend an interim belt. Unfortunately, the Brazilian isn’t seeing many benefits of being the closest thing to a champion his division has seen in a dog’s age.

That’s at least, according to Nova Uniao head trainer Andre Pederneiras, who recently appeared on MMAJunkie radio to discuss Barao’s current predicament:

He’s very frustrated because he needs to make money. So many sponsors here in Brazil are not sponsoring him because he’s not the real champion from the UFC. He’s the interim champion. He’s losing money every day.

The sponsors here want a real champion. A linear champion. 


(And to think, if the guy on the left had won, we’d have a new outright champion by now. Photo via Getty.)

October 1st will mark the two year anniversary (?) of the last time we saw bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defend his title in the octagon. Multiple ACL tears and a rejected cadaver ligament transplant have seen the once dominant champion sidelined ever since his 2011 battle with now flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. As such, the bantamweight division has been stuck in a perpetual state of limbo, frustrating fans, fighters and most importantly, Dominick Cruz.

But perhaps the only person more frustrated by Cruz’s arduous road to recovery than the champ himself is interim title holder Renan Barao, who recently became the first fighter in UFC history to defend said title twice (via a second round KO of Eddie Wineland at UFC 165). Actually, Barao is the first fighter in UFC history to ever defend an interim belt. Unfortunately, the Brazilian isn’t seeing many benefits of being the closest thing to a champion his division has seen in a dog’s age.

That’s at least, according to Nova Uniao head trainer Andre Pederneiras, who recently appeared on MMAJunkie radio to discuss Barao’s current predicament:

He’s very frustrated because he needs to make money. So many sponsors here in Brazil are not sponsoring him because he’s not the real champion from the UFC. He’s the interim champion. He’s losing money every day.

The sponsors here want a real champion. A linear champion. 

We’ve seen several message boards around the MMA blogosphere making the case that, had Urijah Faber defeated Barao at UFC 149, he would have arguably been promoted to outright champion by now. Why? Because although Barao being champion would clearly be more profitable for Barao, a well known, *American* star like Faber being champion would be far more profitable for the UFC. It would fuel the already heated rivalry between Cruz and Faber, it would give the UFC an opportunity to promote a champion, etc. Cruz would have been able to cash in that lottery ticket he missed out on at UFC 148, so to speak.

Just an observation.

But there is hope, as “The Dominator” is currently eyeing a February 2014 return. It’s a timetable that Pederneiras and company are eager to see come to fruition. Otherwise, well…

I don’t want another opponent. I want to make the fight happen by February, or I need to talk to Dana to take his belt, because more than two-and-a-half years, I don’t understand. But he said he was probably going to be fighting in February. 

I’ve been waiting for that and praying every day for it to happen. Renan wants to fight Dominick. 

Fingers crossed.

–J. Jones

Armchair Matchmaker: ‘UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson’ Edition


(Photo of the Year. Hands Down. Via Esther Lin/MMAFighting.) 

Like our esteemed colleague George Shunick, I have never been happier to admit that I was completely wrong in all but writing off Alexander Gustafsson in the weeks leading up to his battle with Jon Jones at UFC 165. And like most of you, I’m still reeling from what was one of the greatest light heavyweight title fights in MMA History and quite possibly the fight of the year, which makes this Armchair Matchmaker piece all the more difficult to construct.

Did Gustafsson get screwed, like Phil Davis would have you believe? Should an immediate rematch be booked between the Swede and the champ? Follow us below to find out what lies in store for Jon Jones and the rest of UFC 165’s biggest winners.

Jon Jones: I might be in the minority here, but I’m going to suggest that the UFC should hold off on booking an immediate Jones/Gustafsson rematch. Here’s why:


(Photo of the Year. Hands Down. Via Esther Lin/MMAFighting.) 

Like our esteemed colleague George Shunick, I have never been happier to admit that I was completely wrong in all but writing off Alexander Gustafsson in the weeks leading up to his battle with Jon Jones at UFC 165. And like most of you, I’m still reeling from what was one of the greatest light heavyweight title fights in MMA History and quite possibly the fight of the year, which makes this Armchair Matchmaker piece all the more difficult to construct.

Did Gustafsson get screwed, like Phil Davis would have you believe? Should an immediate rematch be booked between the Swede and the champ? Follow us below to find out what lies in store for Jon Jones and the rest of UFC 165′s biggest winners.

Jon Jones: I might be in the minority here, but I’m going to suggest that the UFC should hold off on booking an immediate Jones/Gustafsson rematch.

Was Jones vs. Gustafsson an unexpectedly close fight with a razor-thin, controversial decision? It’s an opinion largely dependent on how you scored round 2 and whether or not you thought Bones’ spinning elbow in round 4 completely nullified the 4 minute ass-whooping Gustafsson was dishing out until that point.

In either case, we can’t have the UFC going all Frankie Edgar everytime there’s an arguably close title fight. For one, it clogs up a division where there is at least one other contender lying in wait. Secondly, it doesn’t give the UFC a ton of time to emphasize/promote just how great the first fight was and reel in casual audiences for the rematch. There’s a reason Sonnen vs. Silva 2 was the biggest UFC pay-per-view of all time, and it’s not just because Chael talks some good trash. Our ADD-riddled culture may resent the idea of being treated to a good old fashioned slow burn at first, but giving this potential rematch some time to stew will most certainly pay off in the long run.

As for the champ? Feed him Glover Teixeira next like we were promised. The Brazilian’s slow, plodding offensive style plays in direct contrast with that of the Swede’s and should make for an arguably easier fight for Bones to control. Arguably. Jones gets another victory under his belt and some added footage for his highlight reel, the UFC gets some more time to hype up the rematch and us fans get the opportunity to pass along (stolen) videos of Jones/Gustafsson 1 to everyone on our contact lists. To steal a catchphrase from what feels like decades ago: Winning.

Alexander Gustafsson: Obviously, the above scenario we just presented would not be complete without including what’s next for “The Mauler,” whose Twitter account has likely imploded with new follower requests by now. But with Jones taking on Teixeira next (in our falsely-constructed reality), what’s left for the Swede? The answer is simple: A tune-up fight of sorts against a highly-ranked competitor whom Gustafsson should be able to best without too much trouble. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira immediately comes to mind.

After suffering back-to-back defeats in 2010-11, the Brazilian has had a minor surge as of late, defeating former champions Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans in consecutive bouts. Lil’ Nog will be coming off an injury but is skilled enough, well known enough and dangerous enough to keep this fight from entering squash match territory. That being said, Gustafsson’s size, speed and newly-showcased grappling prowess should prove too much for Nogueira. As with Jones, Gustafsson would secure another victory and some potential highlight footage over a solid opponent, as well as solidify his status as the top challenger to Bones’ crown.

Renan Barao: We don’t care if Barao has to show up to one of Dominick Cruz‘s physical therapy sessions and kick “The Dominator’s” cane out from under him; make this fight happen or strip Cruz’s title. Simple.

Brendan Schaub: What can be said about Schaub at this point, really? The man simply doesn’t have the chin to stand with top-level strikers and is clearly afraid to roll with top-level Jitz guys, so who do we place him with? Todd Duffee? Shawn Jordan (should he best Gabriel Gonzaga next month)? The Soa Palelei/Pat Barry winner?

It’s not that Schaub’s toe-twitching D’arce of Matt Mitrione wasn’t impressive…it was. It’s that Schaub has already fought a decent percentage of the UFC’s heavyweight division and has either failed spectacularly against the upper echelon or triumphed spectacularly against the mid-to-low level guys. There was also his “cerebral” win over Lavar Johnson, but let’s just do like everyone else and forget that that fight ever happened. Of the options we’ve presented, the Palelei/Barry winner probably makes the most sense.

Francis Carmont: It’s a good thing that Ben Askren hasn’t been defeated yet (WAIT), because the day he is will be the day that Francis Carmont secures the #1 spot on the “Most Unimpressive Win Streak in MMA” list. His decision victory over Costa Philippou sucked and was rightfully panned by fans and UFC presidents alike — it might have been the first fight in MMA history to feature more battle cries than actual shots landed. Putting aside the fact that Carmont’s previous two victories were controversial snoozefests at best and outright screwjobs at worst, we say Carmont should face Thales Leites next. Both men are ground-fighting aficionados with styles that are anything but fan-friendly, so bury these two on an undercard somewhere and give fans an opportunity to refresh their drinks.

Khabib Nurmagomedov: In direct contrast to Carmont, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s impressive win streak was only validated by his dominant victory on Saturday night. Khabib was given the ultimate grinder in Pat Healy, yet he managed to outgrind (phrasing), outgrapple, outgun and out-Hughes Healy for three straight rounds. A title shot may still be a bit presumptuous for the Russian badass given Josh Thomson and T.J. Grant‘s places in the pecking order, but a fight with fellow top contender Rafael Dos Anjos?!

In case you didn’t get the message, we like that idea. A lot.

Are any of these matchups intriguing you in the slightest, Potato Nation? And who do you think Saturday night’s other winners (Jury, Thomson, Makdessi) should face next?

–J. Jones

UFC 165 Results: Post-Fight Stock Report

Apparently, greatness was, in fact, within reach—it materialized in the aftermath of UFC 165.
Make no mistake about it: The effort put on display by Alexander Gustafsson, and accordingly thwarted by Jon Jones, is the stuff of legend. The morning …

Apparently, greatness was, in fact, within reach—it materialized in the aftermath of UFC 165.

Make no mistake about it: The effort put on display by Alexander Gustafsson, and accordingly thwarted by Jon Jones, is the stuff of legend. The morning after, all in the collective MMA community are likely still trying to catch their breath as they ponder the consequences of Saturday night’s main event.

Given Jones’ aim to break the light heavyweight title defense record, maintain his unbeaten streak and Gustafsson‘s attempt to stop a fighter perceived as unstoppable, this was an iconic fight in every sense of the term. The end result left writers such as myself breathing frantically and questioning if we’d be able to deliver thoughts in an impassioned yet impartial manner—both men are worthy of copious praise.

Factor in the incredible performance by Renan Barao in his co-main event title defense, and you’ve got an evening that ensured no fight fan was left with a resting heart rate.

Now that we’ve all had a chance to wind down—even if only partially—let’s take a moment to examine just how stock rose and fell in the hours after UFC 165.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 165: Matchups That Would Make Sense After Saturday’s Card

Glover Teixeira is next in line for a shot at the light heavyweight title, but if things happen as they should, he should be made to wait at least one more fight for his opportunity. Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson’s epic battle for Jones’ UFC light…

Glover Teixeira is next in line for a shot at the light heavyweight title, but if things happen as they should, he should be made to wait at least one more fight for his opportunity. Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson‘s epic battle for Jones’ UFC light heavyweight title should spawn an immediate rematch.

Gustafsson pushed the champion in a way that no one outside of his camp expected. Because we’re talking about the first serious challenge to the pound-for-pound champion, the UFC owes it to the fans to put both men back in the Octagon to maximize on what could be a great rivalry.

If Jones or Gustafsson are allowed to fight another opponent, there is no telling what could happen to either man. If Jones or Gustafsson take any damage that changes them as a fighter, it could hurt the best product the division has.

Of all the potential fights that could come from the action at UFC 165, a Jones-Gustafsson rematch makes the most sense. What other bouts should we see in light of the results from Saturday?

 

Renan Barao vs. Dominick Cruz

It is time to remove the interim tag from Barao‘s UFC bantamweight title one way or another. His impressive TKO win over Eddie Wineland on Saturday ran his record to 31-1. He hasn’t lost a fight in eight years. Current UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has been on the shelf for two years after suffering a torn ACL.

Derrick Rose has nothing on this guy.

Barao should either be named the official champion at 135 pounds, or Cruz should face him to settle things. Per Mike Whitman of Sherdog, plans to have the two stars meet are in the works. Cruz is apparently targeting “early 2014” for his long-awaited return.

Barao will be waiting for him.

 

Francis Carmont vs. Ronaldo Souza

Prior to his manhandling of Costa Philippou on Saturday, Carmont wasn’t listed as a top-10 middleweight. Because of the complete and utter domination he displayed over the man who was ranked seventh, it seems fair to say Carmont deserves a spot in the top 10.

Souza is one of the hottest names in the UFC. He’s looked increasingly impressive in his two fights in the promotion. Matching these two streaking 185-pounders against one another could very well determine the next serious challenger for the middleweight crown.

Anderson Silva will attempt to regain his title from Chris Weidman at UFC 168 in December. If Carmont-Souza is made, the winner would be a stiff challenge for the man holding the title after Silva-Weidman 2.

 

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