Does TJ Dillashaw Have Renan Barao’s Number?

This weekend (Sat., August 30, 2014) UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw will take on former champ Renan Barao in the main event of UFC 177 from the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California.

“The Viper” finished Barao in the fifth round of their first encounter at May’s UFC 173 from Las Vegas in a fight that was anything but close. It will go down as one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, but what transpired proved that Dillashaw was without a doubt the better fighter that night.

Regardless of the fashion in which he lost, Barao was granted an immediate rematch only three months later, and was quick to offer up a wide range of excuses as to why he lost to Dillashaw in the first place. He blamed a first round overhand right that made him fight on autopilot, he blamed the fact that he accepted the fight on short notice when Vitor Belfort couldn’t face Chris Weidman, and he blamed an injury suffered a week before the fight.

He claims he’s going to be a different man on Saturday night, the man that ran through the top bantamweights in the world with such ruthless efficiency that most were wondering whether or not he would be the world’s No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter after he beat Dillashaw.

Excuses aside, however, Barao simply got beat by the better man.

That’s not to take anything from Barao’s prior dominance. He deserves a ton of credit for his 35-fight unbeaten streak and his rise to prominence as a highlight-creating champion. But that’s also what makes Dillashaw’s accomplishment all the more amazing.

Training at Team Alpha Male under the tutelage of striking coach Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig, Dillashaw’s game has simply progressed to a new level. His movement and accuracy coupled with his power and conditioning allowed him to pick Barao apart piece by piece, nailing him with an endless of torrent of shots that eventually opened up the opportunity for the finish.

Was he able to do this all this because of the early overhand that put a glaze over Barao’s eyes? Maybe, but it was Dillashaw that threw that perfectly executed punch, after all.

Barao said on Countdown to UFC 177 that he had a bad feeling at the beginning of his fight with Dillashaw. He feels that it will be much different this time around, but what exactly makes him believe that? Maybe this would be more believable if he had made it more of a fight at UFC 173.

True, the motivation of losing his belt could definitely force Barao to train differently with renewed vigor, but from a technical standpoint, what really is he going to do to Dillashaw?

The champ is simply too fast, too motivated, and above all else, too confident. The second fight should be much closer, that much I won’t doubt (barring any tide-changing shots from either side, of course).

But when the dust is settled in Sacramento, Dillashaw will most likely use his breakneck pace to once again disrupt Barao’s flow and retain his belt.

I hope it’s a war and Barao is back to normal, but styles make fights, and Dillashaw has one that just doesn’t match up well for Barao (or many bantamweights for that matter).

What do you think? Will the former champion regain the belt in his rival’s hometown, or will Dillashaw put a decisive seal on his saga with Barao?

Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie for USA TODAY Sports