Renan Barao was stunned at UFC 173 by No. 4-ranked T.J. Dillashaw, who ended his 22-match winning streak. Barao was being mentioned in the same breath as greats like Anderson Silva and Jon Jones, with UFC president Dana White arguing for him as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the company.
Dana White advises Dominick Cruz to "start smaller" than Barao
That all changed when Dillashaw rocked him with an overhand right and didn't let his foot off the pedal until the match was done. After the fight, Dillashaw described his emotions throughout.
"I had the choke locked up [after the first-round knockdown] and I didn't finish him and I was kind of pissed off about it at first," Dillashaw said. "But now, I'm kind of glad I didn't. I got to prove myself even more. If I'd finished the choke, it just would have been that easy of a win. But I got to show more skills the longer it went, so I'm glad I got to dominate that much over that long of a fight."
The rematch seems very obvious, as Barao is a renowned warrior and Dillashaw a somewhat unknown commodity entering the night. According to reports, White would consider a rematch but also has Raphael Assuncao as an option for a title shot. Perhaps he could have Barao take on former champion Dominick Cruz, with the winner facing the Dillashaw-Assuncao victor?
Prior to this fight White commented on Cruz's desire to fight for the belt right away after not being seen in the octagon since 2011. Under the impression Barao would outclass Dillashaw, White said "I don't care who he wants to fight. I'm just saying personally if you ask me, that's not the guy I'd be running around trying to fight after a two-year layoff."
After a loss, Barao would bring an interesting dynamic to a Cruz fight. Also, a loss to Barao wouldn't ruin Cruz either, as his long layoff could be pointed to as a crutch.
Should Barao get an instant rematch? Let us know @SportsWN
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