Renan Barao vs. Eddie Wineland Adds Second title Bout to UFC 165
It looks like UFC 165 in Toronto is all of the sudden becoming quite the stacked card. News has come tonight that UFC interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao will indeed defend his title against former WEC champion Eddie Wineland, bucking the trend of title fights falling apart due to injury and turning into different bouts altogether. Joe Ferraro tweeted the breaking news:
More breaking news for #UFC165 in Toronto. Co-main event will be Renan Barao vs Eddie Wineland for BW interim title.
— Joe Ferraro (@ShowdownJoe) July 4, 2013
It’s a refreshing announcement to see Wineland regain the shot that he earned to face Barao in the main event at UFC 161. Barao has been through an absolute tear through the UFC bantamweight division but was forced out of the original bout with a foot injury. The champion has apparently healed quickly and is eager to obtain his second interim title defense.
With reigning champion Dominick Cruz still on the sidelines for an determined amount of time, Barao’s return comes as a relief for the UFC. A second title bout has been added to UFC 165’s headlining Jon Jones/Alexander Gustafsson bout. With the possibility of UFC 168 having another championship in addition to the women’s title fight between Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate, it looks like the UFC is preparing some heavy-hitting cards for the second half of the year.
