Tag: UFC 173

UFC 173: Highlighting Most Important Results from Saturday’s Marquee Event

Saturday’s UFC 173 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena was not only a shockingly great card, but a lesson in the unpredictable nature of the sport and what is to come.
The night’s main event saw TJ Dillashaw rip the bantamweight title from Renan Barao, which…

Saturday’s UFC 173 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena was not only a shockingly great card, but a lesson in the unpredictable nature of the sport and what is to come.

The night’s main event saw TJ Dillashaw rip the bantamweight title from Renan Barao, which proved to be but one critical decision on a night that wound up telling many stories about the present and future of the proceedings in the Octagon.

Let’s take a look at that classic bout and two others at UFC 173 that are notable in a variety of facets.

 

Daniel Cormier Knocks off Dan Henderson

Perhaps it’s time for Dan Henderson to ponder his future.

When the cage door to the Octagon closed, the former Olympian was thrown around like a rag doll by another past Olympian to decide who remains in the hunt for the lightweight title.

Daniel Cormier has now hit a 15-0 mark and looks every bit of a title contender at 35 years of age. Cormier applied consistent pressure and eventually won on a rear-naked choke in the third round to cement a victory more brutal than anyone has ever handed Henderson.

It’s a clear sign that the two fighters are headed in very different directions. Henderson, surely to non-approval from fans, intends to keep his career alive, as recorded by MMAFighting.com:

That’s a questionable decision, to say the least, but nobody can blame Cormier for calling out Jon Jones, per Mike Chiappetta of Fox Sports:

No matter where you go boy, I’m coming. You better hurry because I’m getting better.

I know nobody can wrestle me. It doesn’t matter. If I decide to take Jon Jones down 100 times, I’ll take him down 100 times. This is my octagon.

Cormier joins a short list of those worthy of the title shot, and tossing around a past juggernaut on Saturday sure does not hurt his chances.

 

Robbie Lawler Downs Jake Ellenberger

Remember when Jake Ellenberger was a top threat?

Good times.

Just a few years ago, Ellenberger was tearing through the likes of Jake Shields and had the look of the next big thing. On Saturday, Ellenberger looked like the subject of a Space Jam-esque victim, because he had clearly forgotten how to fight as Robbie Lawler dominated every second of their encounter.

“Ruthless” was just that over the course of the entire bout, peppering the former superstar with an onslaught of strikes that resulted in a total strikes advantage of 72-30 before the fight was called in the third round.

It’s clear Lawler will not get a title shot right away, but his dominance in a way nobody could have predicted on Saturday jump-starts his path back to contention. For Ellenberger, it is time to go back to the drawing board and rediscover something, anything that will make him competitive again.

 

TJ Dillashaw Jaw-Dropping Triumph over Renan Barao

It had to happen at some point, but few thought Dillashaw would be the one to do it.

Barao entered Saturday night as a winner of more than 30 straight, dating back to 2005, and a name many considered to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

So much for that.

Barao was nearly knocked out in the first round via a barrage from Dillashaw, regained composure and was fully destroyed every step of the way before his eventual knockout in the final round.

For Dillashaw, it’s a coming-of-age moment and one he will forever cherish, as captured by the UFC:

UFC fans around the globe just witnessed a passing of the torch. A rematch is surely on the table with Barao still one of the sport’s best, but it is important to recognize the arrival of a new champ and face of the sport as he begins his journey.

 

Note: All info courtesy of the UFC’s official website unless otherwise specified.

 

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T.J. Dillashaw: How the New 135-Pound Champ Dethroned Renan Barao at UFC 173

The handful of pundits who believed T.J. Dillashaw would dethrone Renan Barao at UFC 173 certainly didn’t forecast a brutal TKO win from the Team Alpha Male standout Saturday in Las Vegas. 
Regardless, a confident Dillashaw utilized his many tools…

The handful of pundits who believed T.J. Dillashaw would dethrone Renan Barao at UFC 173 certainly didn’t forecast a brutal TKO win from the Team Alpha Male standout Saturday in Las Vegas. 

Regardless, a confident Dillashaw utilized his many tools, particularly his footwoork, speed and athleticism, to trump the seemingly unstoppable Barao in every facet of the game to become his team’s first UFC champ.

Although Dillashaw, a former NCAA Division 1 wrestler who entered the fight with just nine wins, failed to score a takedown for the first time since his UFC debut, he outstruck the streaking Barao, 169-68 and 140-64 in the significant strikes category.

Dillashaw landed 99 of 260 shots he threw to Barao‘s head, 17 of 21 to his body and 24 of 28 to his legs. He also scored on 19 of the 30 ground strikes he fired.

In contrast, Barao landed just 68 of 277 total strikes, including 64 of 273 in the significant strikes department. And despite the fact that he stuffed each of Dillashaw‘s three shots, Barao failed to muster a takedown or submission attempt.

In his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan, Dillashaw, the UFC’s fourth-ranked bantamweight heading into the fight, said Barao‘s reputation and resume brought the best out in him.

Barao‘s the best in the world in my eyes…you know what I mean? I’ve been looking up to the guy [and] I felt respect to get in the cage against him. He’s the best in the world and that’s what brought it out in me. That’s what brought the best out in me because I knew I was fighting the best. I had to bring my A-game to be the champion of the world, and it happened baby.

Dillashaw got off to the ideal start and landed 27 of 65 strikes in the opening round while absorbing just seven blows from Barao.

The second round proved the most tightly contested as Dillashaw outstruck Barao, 28-20, all of which were significant strikes.

Dillashaw regained his steam in Round 3 and hit his mark with 39 of 78 strikes compared to Barao‘s 19 of 73.

In the last 7:26 of the bout, Dillashaw landed 75 strikes to Barao‘s 22, including 56-18 in the significant strikes category.

A battered but resilient Barao took all he could handle from a rabid Dillashaw in the fifth round before crumbling and getting saved from further punishment by referee Herb Dean.

The third-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC heading into the bout, Barao tasted defeat for the first time since his pro debut in 2005.

“It was really a tough fight. I have to congratulate him. Tonight was his night, but I’m coming back,” a humbled Barao said to Rogan.

Dillashaw last fell to Raphael Assuncao in a controversial split decision at UFC Fight Night 29 last October. Following that loss, Dillashaw has refined his game significantly under soon-to-be former coach Duane Ludwig.

The 28-year-old Dillashaw brought superior footwork, quickness and cardio to the table against Barao, and that remedy proved too much for the 27-year-old Brazilian.

Barao fell to 9-1 under the Zuffa, LLC umbrella, while Dillashaw improved to 6-2 in the UFC.

All stats gathered via Fightmetric.com. 

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UFC 173 Results: 5 Fights for Renan Barao to Take Next

Renan Barao may not have his UFC bantamweight title, but he does have a few avenues to go back to getting it.
The Nova Uniao product is still one of the best bantamweights on the planet and was likely just as shocked as everyone else by the effectivene…

Renan Barao may not have his UFC bantamweight title, but he does have a few avenues to go back to getting it.

The Nova Uniao product is still one of the best bantamweights on the planet and was likely just as shocked as everyone else by the effectiveness of TJ Dillashaw on Saturday night.

Dillashaw landed a huge right hand early and it was all him from that point on. Even though Barao was thoroughly dominated at UFC 173, I don’t believe he needs a “let’s go back to the drawing board” type of talk.

This was simply a case of Dillashaw being the better fighter at UFC 173. We could be seeing the beginning of a great rivalry if Barao can bounce back in his next fight and make his way back to a title shot.

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UFC 173 Results: Final Review of Scorecards and Top Performers

MGM Grand Garden Arena played host to UFC 173 on Saturday night in Las Vegas, and the exciting main card proved to be as compelling as expected.
The main event was stellar. Renan Barao, arguably one of the best fighters in the world, surrendered his ba…

MGM Grand Garden Arena played host to UFC 173 on Saturday night in Las Vegas, and the exciting main card proved to be as compelling as expected.

The main event was stellar. Renan Barao, arguably one of the best fighters in the world, surrendered his bantamweight title to challenger TJ Dillashaw after Dillashaw put on an absolutely stunning performance against the champ.

Dillashaw now has big things on the horizon.

The main card featured great fights as well. While not as exciting as Dillashaw‘s win over Barao, the winners in those bouts fought hard and deserved their victories.

Below is a table complete with the results from UFC 173’s main card and main event, as well as some analysis on the top performers from Saturday night.

 

Full Results

 

Top Performers

TJ Dillashaw

Dillashaw was stellar, knocking out Barao in the final round of their main event fight. The implications of the victory for Dillashaw are huge, as Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com pointed out:

The result snaps a 33-fight unbeaten streak for Barao (32-2) that dated back to April 2005. It also handed Dillashaw‘s gym, Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California, its first world title. The team had gone winless in six previous UFC title fights.

Now the 135-pound champion, Dillashaw earned himself the right to fight another quality opponent in his first defense of the title.

Dillashaw, known as the Viper, almost finished off Barao early in the first round before the then-champion regained his composure and continued fighting. Dillashaw was all over him for the rest of the fight, however, and shockingly, Barao appeared overmatched.

Barao is still one of the most talented fighters in the world, making this victory for Dillashaw even more impressive. A rematch could very well be in the cards for the two fighters, especially given Barao‘s past successes.

But for now, we should just focus on praising Dillashaw for a nearly flawless fight against an exceptionally tough opponent.

 

Daniel Cormier

Staying unbeaten against one of the most revered fighters in UFC history is usually cause for celebration. Daniel Cormier did just that, defeating Dan Henderson by submission to improve to 15-0 in his career.

Cormier won this fight on the ground. Henderson was never able to get back to his feet when Cormier got him down, as Cormier used his size and strength to keep Henderson on his back. Once in that position, Cormier unleashed a flurry of punches and strikes that both did damage and tired out the 43-year-old.

With three minutes and 53 seconds remaining the third round, Cormier finished the fight. No longer looking to tire Henderson out, he got behind him and choked him to submission.

Following the victory, Cormier wasted no time in calling out light heavyweight champ Jon Jones, via Mike Chiappetta of Fox Sports:

No matter where you go boy, I’m coming. You better hurry because I’m getting better.

I know nobody can wrestle me. It doesn’t matter. If I decide to take Jon Jones down 100 times, I’ll take him down 100 times. This is my octagon.

It will be interesting to see how Jones responds. Cormier appears ready to face such a tough opponent after a decisive performance at UFC 173.

 

Takeya Mizugaki

Takeya Mizugaki, 30, showed off his ground dominance in an impressive unanimous-decision win (scored 30-27, 30-27, 29-28) over Francisco Rivera. It was Mizugaki‘s fifth straight victory.

His ability to keep Rivera on the ground and deliver strong blows to his opponent’s body was crucial in both racking up points and tiring out Rivera. After doing so, Mizugaki used wild movements and quick strikes to do even more damage.

The first instance of this came just 90 seconds into the fight, when Mizugaki dropped Rivera after landing a crushing overhand blow to Rivera’s ear. Rivera hit the mat and Mizugaki attacked, but Rivera was able to stand back up and continue fighting.

When Rivera went down in the third round, that was all Mizugaki needed to earn the win. Rivera slipped, and Mizugaki went to work.

In winning unanimously, Mizugaki showed that he is no longer the roster filler that he was earlier on in his career. He is climbing the ranks of his division.

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T.J. Dillashaw and the Biggest Title Fight Upsets in Recent Memory

In a sport of upsets, Team Alpha Male stalwart T.J. Dillashaw secured his place in MMA upset history at UFC 173 on Saturday at the MGM’s Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Over seven years removed from Matt Serra’s upset win over George St-Pierre at UFC …

In a sport of upsets, Team Alpha Male stalwart T.J. Dillashaw secured his place in MMA upset history at UFC 173 on Saturday at the MGM’s Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Over seven years removed from Matt Serra’s upset win over George St-Pierre at UFC 69, Dillashaw seized his moment and TKO’d former longtime champ Renan Barao to score a monumental upset victory.

Dillashaw overcame overwhelming odds to defeat Barao, who hadn’t tasted defeat in 33 fights heading into the bout.

The win puts Dillashaw in an elite category of MMA fighters who pulled off remarkable upsets in recent memory.

Here’s a short list (which won’t include any classic shockers like Serra over St-Pierre or Maurice Smith over Mark Coleman) of some of the most memorable recent title-fight upsets.

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TJ Dillashaw: New Bantamweight Champ Is Best Team Alpha Male Fighter Ever

Behold TJ Dillashaw, the true alpha male on a team of betas. Okay, so that’s not entirely true, the rest of Team Alpha Male are all excellent fighters in their own right.
But after UFC 173, one would have to assume Dillashaw could be labeled as the bes…

Behold TJ Dillashaw, the true alpha male on a team of betas. Okay, so that’s not entirely true, the rest of Team Alpha Male are all excellent fighters in their own right.

But after UFC 173, one would have to assume Dillashaw could be labeled as the best Team Alpha Male fighter ever.

Now before you scroll down to the bottom to light up the comments section about how Urijah Faber built the featherweight division or was king of the WEC for years, just hear me out.

I’ll start this off with a bit of compromise with the Faber fans; Faber’s time in the WEC is one of the most dominant runs in MMA history. Faber went 21-1 en route to help building the featherweight division to relevancy and virtually carrying the WEC brand on his back.

There’s also his time in the UFC to consider as well. Faber has been the best fighter outside of the champion in the bantamweight division during his time in the UFC. If your name isn’t Dominick Cruz, it goes without saying that you’re not going to win against Faber.

Yet, for all his accomplishments, the one thing that has eluded “The California Kid” is a UFC title. It’s a sentiment shared by many of his teammates as Chad Mendes and Joseph Benavidez have both fallen short in their previous title bids.

It’s not a feeling currently shared by Dillashaw, however.

That’s because Dillashaw did the impossible at UFC 173 by taking out the seemingly invincible Renan Barao. Dillashaw capped off a great performance by finishing Barao in the fifth round of their UFC 173 headlining bout.

Dillashaw didn’t lose a round the entire fight.

With the win, Dillashaw eclipsed the accomplishments made by his Team Alpha Male counterparts. For all the good Faber did while in the WEC, nobody remembers who wins the AFC/NFC Championship titles each year. It’s all about the Super Bowl.

And for Dillashaw, he has that equivalent to a Super Bowl ring.

He’s also entering the prime of his career at just 28 years of age. His improvements since Duane Ludwig began coaching him have not only shown in terms of wins, it’s shown in his performances as Dillashaw has looked better each time out.

Dillashaw has that signature win now that he’s defeated Barao and has the UFC gold to validate his status as the best of the bantamweight division. He’s also validated his status as the top fighter at Team Alpha Male.

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