Renan Barao vs TJ Dillashaw Fight UFC 173

LAS VEGAS – With massive odds against him, T.J. Dillashaw not only defied them, but he made them look like they were inadvertently reversed. Dillashaw dominated bantamweight champion Renan Barao to win the title, even as the Brazilian entered the fight as a favorite of as much as 10-to-1, and with many calling him the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. It was Barao’s first loss since 2005. Dillashaw (10-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) outstruck Barao (32-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) at nearly every turn, planting him on the canvas in the first round and then never looking back, even when Barao tried to answer. But instead of cruising to a dominant decision win, Dillashaw stayed after the finish in the fifth round – ultimately putting the champion on the canvas with a left hand before pouncing to finish off the massive upset. Dillashaw has now won five of his last six and showed phenomenal movement and striking en route to a fifth round finish, beating one of the greatest in the world in surprisingly dominant fashion. Renan Barao looked out of his depth at times, almost getting finished on multiple occasions and having no match for Dillashaw’s footwork. Dillashaw handed Barao his first loss in 36 fights. In Duane Ludwig’s last fight as Team Alpha Male coach, he showed why he earned the Coach of the Year award in 2014 when Dillashaw put on a striking clinic. The win sets up a rematch between TJ Dillashaw and Raphael Assuncao, a fight that ended in a controversial split decision in Assuncao’s favour. Assuncao was originally offered the fight against Barao, but is sidelined due to injury. Midway through the fifth round, Dillashaw dropped Barao before finishing the fight with punches. It was not Dillashaw’s first knockdown of the fight–he scored one in the first round–but it was the one that officially put the belt around his waist.The fight was waved off due to TKO at 2:26 of Round Five.