In arguably the biggest and most shocking title upset in UFC history, current bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw dominated former kingpin Renan Barao at UFC 173.
With tactical precision, overwhelming pressure and the sort of five-round conditioning we’…
In arguably the biggest and most shocking title upset in UFC history, current bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw dominated former kingpin Renan Barao at UFC 173.
With tactical precision, overwhelming pressure and the sort of five-round conditioning we’re not used to seeing, especially in the midst of landing 140 significant strikes, “The Viper” made Barao look like a technician without his tools.
Dillashaw’s commanding performance not only shed light on how dynamic and prolific he can be, but it proved that Barao is in fact mortal and the 135-pound crop heap is more open battleground than closed circuit.
In any case, Barao’s perennial excellence and current pound-for-pound ranking landed him a well-deserved immediate rematch.
That rematch takes place this Saturday at UFC 177 in Sacramento, California—Dillashaw’s home state.
Here is a true head-to-toe breakdown scripting the most anticipated reboot in bantamweight history.
UFC Fight Nights 48 and 49 are in the books. The results are as follows:
UFC Fight Night 48 Results
Michael Bisping defeated Cung Le by TKO at 0:57 of the fourth round
Tyron Woodley defeated Dong Hyun Kim by TK…
UFC Fight Nights 48 and 49 are in the books. The results are as follows:
UFC Fight Night 48 Results
Michael Bisping defeated Cung Le by TKO at 0:57 of the fourth round
TyronWoodley defeated Dong Hyun Kim by TKO at 1:01 of the first round
ZhangLipeng defeated Brendan O’Reilly via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
NingGuangyou defeated Jianping Yang via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Wang Sai defeated Danny Mitchell via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Alberto Mina defeated ShinshoAnzai by TKO at 4:17 of the first round
YutaSasaki defeated Roland Delorme via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:06 of the first round
Colby Covington defeated Wang Anying via submission (strikes) at 4:50 of the first round
Royston Wee defeated Yao Zhikui via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
MilanaDudieva defeated Elizabeth Phillips via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
UFC Fight Night 49 Results
Rafael dos Anjos def. Ben Henderson by KO at 2:31 of the first round 1
Jordan Mein def. Mike Pyle by TKO at 1:12 of the first round
Thales Leites def. Francis Carmont by KO at 0:20 of the second round
Max Holloway def. Clay Collard by TKO at 3:47 of the third round
James Vick def. Valmir Lazaro via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
Chas Skelly def. Tom Niinimaki by submission at 2:35 of the first round
Neil Magny def. Alex Garcia via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
BeneilDariush def. Tony Martin by submission at 3:38 of the second round
Matt Hobar def. Aaron Phillips via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Ben Saunders def. Chris Heatherly by submission at 2:18 of the first round
Wilson Reis def. Joby Sanchez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Next up? Ugh, UFC 177 on August 30…
Headlined by the foolhardy bantamweight title rematch between TJ Dillashaw and RenanBarao and backed up by absolutely nothing, UFC 177 easily ranks among the worst on-paper pay-per-view events in UFC history. There is little to get excited about and little hope that this event will wind up as anything other than forgettable.
So what topics should you discuss around the water cooler, if this event somehow ends up being acknowledged? Find out right here!
The UFC has made an interesting addition to its flyweight division, signing Olympic gold-medal-winning wrestler Henry Cejudo. He is booked to face longtime UFC and WEC bantamweight contender (and current flyweight) Scott Jorgensen at UFC 177. The news …
The UFC has made an interesting addition to its flyweight division, signing Olympic gold-medal-winning wrestler Henry Cejudo. He is booked to face longtime UFC and WEC bantamweight contender (and current flyweight) Scott Jorgensen at UFC 177. The news was first announced on UFC.com and was celebrated by both fighters on Twitter:
The news comes as something of a surprise. While Cejudo is obviously an elite-level wrestler, his MMA career has been less than glamorous. Even though he has a 6-0 record, he is very clearly a work in progress, and his difficulties in making the flyweight division’s 125-pound limit have raised questions regarding his commitment to his MMA career.
That said, there is no denying his upside as a prospect. At age 27, there is plenty of time for Cejudo to make the tweaks to become a force at 125 pounds, and we have seen more than a few fighters achieve MMA success on wrestling skills alone. Not only that, but as an American of Mexican descent who can speak fluent Spanish, he also may prove to be a valuable commodity for the UFC as it begins pushing into Mexico and Central America.
Jorgensen is a tough draw for his UFC debut, however. While the former WEC contender is on a tough 2-5 skid, he remains a savvy veteran and has been training with former Team USA standout (and Bellator champion) Joe Warren.
It is unknown whether this fight will be part of the main card or preliminary card. Fortunately, it will occur relatively soon. UFC 177 goes down August 30 in Sacramento, California.
The UFC doesn’t share our misgivings about Cejudo. They just signed the 2008 Olympic freestyle wrestling gold medal winner. They also booked him in a fight against a proven quantity in Scott Jorgensen.
Cejudo is 6-0 over Wikipedia-less jobbers. His most recent fight was back in January–a flyweight fight where he missed weight by three pounds. Jorgensen, too is coming off a victory. He defeated Danny Martinez at UFC Fight Night 42. Prior to that, he had dropped three fights straight.
This is an interesting signing, Potato Nation.
The biggest question is whether Cejudo can mentally cope with the big leagues. Judging by the fact that he had trouble dealing with the likes of Legacy FC, we’re not optimistic.
However, the UFC is willing to take the risk–and why not? The flyweight division is devoid of anyone that can even remotely be considered a draw. And, as Luke Thomas noted, Cejudo’s ability to speak Spanish would be a boon to the UFC’s efforts in Latin America provided he string a few wins together.
But even if Cejudo loses, it doesn’t matter. This fight is taking place on UFC 177–the card TJ Dillashaw vs. Renan Barao is headlining–so it’s unlikely anyone will see it happen.
Title shots in the UFC can be tricky business, and Chris Cariaso is determined to make the most of his opportunity to get his hands on championship gold.
On Tuesday, the UFC announced the long-time bantamweight veteran turned surging flyweight would be…
Title shots in the UFC can be tricky business, and Chris Cariaso is determined to make the most of his opportunity to get his hands on championship gold.
On Tuesday, the UFC announced the long-time bantamweight veteran turned surging flyweight would be the next opponent to face Demetrious Johnson at UFC 177 on Aug. 30. The call to compete for the flyweight strap came as a surprise to the 33-year-old Californian—and news of the bout sent a shockwave through the MMA community—but the door to the championship realm is one Cariaso had been working his entire career to open.
John Dodson was largely figured to be the next fighter in line, but a knee injury and corrective surgery put “The Magician” on the shelf for an extensive stretch. This turn opened up traffic in the 125-pound ranks, and the organization determined Cariaso to be ready to face the pound-for-pound ranked champion.
While he’s certainly aware of the twists and turns it took for the lane to the title shot to open up, Cariaso is a veteran of the sport and has a strong understanding of how the right opportunity can change the tide of a career. Cariaso acknowledges that fight fans are going to have their opinions, but the biggest opportunity of his career is the only thing he’s focused on.
“I couldn’t sit down when the UFC told me the news,” Cariaso told Bleacher Report. “I was ecstatic. I was kind of freaked out because I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or not. I’ve been trying to get any big fight I could and would fight anyone the UFC wanted to put in front of me. I’ve been fighting whoever I could to get a shot at that title, and when the call came through to fight Demetrious Johnson it was unbelievable because here is my opportunity.
“None of the other stuff bothers me. I feel like I’ve paid my dues to get to this point. I’ve never backed down from a fight and I’ve always wanted to fight the best opponents possible. I put myself in position to get this opportunity and it came my way. The UFC knows what they are doing when it comes to putting fights together. I don’t let what other people say bother me. I don’t let what keyboard warriors say bother me. I just go out there and keep working hard. I’m not worried about anything else.”
The San Jose native has been grinding in the professional realm for the better part of a decade, with the majority of his bouts coming at 135 pounds. Yet, “Kamikaze” believed flyweight waters would better suit his fighting style, and Cariaso made his divisional debut in July of 2012. Over this stretch, the 33-year-old has found victory in four of his six showings at 125 pounds, including his current run of three-consecutive wins inside the Octagon.
That string of victories served to build solid momentum for the former WEC fighter and ultimately landed the scrappy flyweight in a position to capitalize on a dream opportunity. Fighting for a UFC title is a moment Cariaso has envisioned throughout his entire career, and he’s determined to make the most of it when he steps in against “Mighty Mouse” in Sacramento.
“This fight is going to be the pinnacle of my career,” Cariaso said. “Every day when I’m training and running I always tell myself that I’m training to be the best. The chance to finally make that happen is a dream come true. Part of me still thinks this is a dream and questions if it is really happening. I have to pinch myself to convince myself this is all real. This is the best thing that has ever happened in my career and it’s awesome.”
Much like Cariaso, the flyweight champion traded in his bantamweight card for a successful run in the 125-pound ranks. Since winning the inaugural divisional title back in 2012, Johnson has successfully defended the strap on four consecutive occasions. In addition to a dominant run atop the flyweight division, the Matt Hume-trained fighter has also registered on the pound-for-pound rankings, as he’s continued to show marked improvements with every performance.
With both fighters coming to the UFC from the WEC roster, Cariaso is familiar with the skills Johnson possesses. That said, he knows what will be coming his way at UFC 177 and believes it will be an interesting clash of styles to determine the 125-pound title.
“One thing you have to be prepared for with Johnson is his pace,” Cariaso said. “He comes out fast and keeps it up for 25 minutes. I’ve seen a lot of his fights over the years because we were on a lot of the same cards fighting at 135 in the WEC. We’ve seen each other around the scene a lot over the years. My biggest thing in this fight is being able to keep up with his pace, and I think that is why a lot of people have such a hard time hanging with him.
“Just getting the call was an honor, and being able to go out there and fight for that belt is the biggest statement you can ever make. I’ll be able to showcase a lot of different aspects of my game with Demetrious. I have a lot of weapons, and Demetrious is a well-rounded guy who is going to bring it. I think it’s going to be an awesome fight stylistically. I believe this is going to be a great situation for me to go out there and showcase my skills.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
It’ll be a brisk 11-week turnaround for Johnson, who successfully made his fourth title-defense against Ali Bagautinov at UFC 174 last month, in spite of Bagautinov loading up on EPO during his training camp. [Ed. note: Mighty Mouse deserves some extra cash for that. Can the UFC institute a “Sorry We Made You Fight a Juicer” bonus?] Fun fact, via Iole: “Given that UFC 176 was canceled, Johnson will appear in two of the last three pay-per-view shows when he steps into the cage on Aug. 30.” And of course, Dillashaw and Barao will appear in two of the last four, since they previously got it on at UFC 173.
Chris Cariaso is just 4-2 as a flyweight, but has won his last three bouts against Iliarde Santos (0-3 UFC record), Danny Martinez (0-2 UFC record), and Louis Smolka (1-1 UFC record) — not exactly a murderer’s row of top competition. Fun fact, via me: The split-decision that Cariaso notched against Smolka represented the first time that Cariaso has ever appeared on a UFC main card, back in May at UFC Fight Night 40. And this guy is getting a title shot, because the UFC is struggling to fill out this pay-per-view card. Times are getting hard, boys.
And so, UFC 177’s buyrate has shot up from an estimated 95,000 buys to a solid 110,000 with the addition of Johnson/Cariaso. I kid the flyweights. Sort of. I mean, they’re awesome and everything, but good luck convincing paying customers of that.
(Hell yeah bro, if you’re not psyched for this one you’re just not a real f-ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.)
It’ll be a brisk 11-week turnaround for Johnson, who successfully made his fourth title-defense against Ali Bagautinov at UFC 174 last month, in spite of Bagautinov loading up on EPO during his training camp. [Ed. note: Mighty Mouse deserves some extra cash for that. Can the UFC institute a “Sorry We Made You Fight a Juicer” bonus?] Fun fact, via Iole: “Given that UFC 176 was canceled, Johnson will appear in two of the last three pay-per-view shows when he steps into the cage on Aug. 30.” And of course, Dillashaw and Barao will appear in two of the last four, since they previously got it on at UFC 173.
Chris Cariaso is just 4-2 as a flyweight, but has won his last three bouts against Iliarde Santos (0-3 UFC record), Danny Martinez (0-2 UFC record), and Louis Smolka (1-1 UFC record) — not exactly a murderer’s row of top competition. Fun fact, via me: The split-decision that Cariaso notched against Smolka represented the first time that Cariaso has ever appeared on a UFC main card, back in May at UFC Fight Night 40. And this guy is getting a title shot, because the UFC is struggling to fill out this pay-per-view card. Times are getting hard, boys.
And so, UFC 177′s buyrate has shot up from an estimated 95,000 buys to a solid 110,000 with the addition of Johnson/Cariaso. I kid the flyweights. Sort of. I mean, they’re awesome and everything, but good luck convincing paying customers of that.
The UFC has made an interesting addition to its flyweight division, signing Olympic gold-medal-winning wrestler Henry Cejudo. He is booked to face longtime UFC and WEC bantamweight contender (and current flyweight) Scott Jorgensen at 