R. Barão (left) is hit by Dillashaw (right); Brazilian was knocked out in the 5th round. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
After losing the UFC bantamweight belt to TJ Dillashaw in May, Renan Barao stated that the knockdown suffered in the first round of the fight was fundamental to its outcome. The Brazilian fighter, as well as his coach, Dedé Pederneiras, stated that started to fight “on automatic” after the blow, culminating in a technical knockout in the last round. However, Dillashaw does not share Barão's opinion.
For the new champion, Barão clung to this justification in order to find an explanation for the dominant defeat. “He had to come up with some explanation as to why he took such a big beating. I think that's not exactly true, because he came back and had the best performance in the second round that he had throughout the fight. I’m not saying he wasn’t on autopilot, but when you go undefeated for so long, you have to have some kind of excuse,” said Dillashaw, in an interview with the North American website “MMA Junkie”.
For the rematch, already scheduled for August 30th, Dillashaw said he has the same mentality as in the first meeting. “I’m as confident as I was before. I can't get too confident. I have to respect him the same way I did in the first fight. He is very dangerous and I have to ensure that I fight with the same respect and confidence in myself”, he detailed.
The rematch between Barão and Dillashaw will be the main fight of UFC 177, which will be in Sacramento, California (USA), Dillashaw's hometown. The attraction will also have another title fight: Demetrious Johnson faces Chris Cariaso for the flyweight title.
Comments