At UFC 173, T.J. Dillashaw beat Renan Barao in a huge upset to win the bantamweight title on May 24.
Previously, Barao had won 22 consecutive fights and had an unbeaten streak lasting 34 matches. Dillashaw showed both power and grace as he ended Barao's momentum since the latter became a professional in 2005. T.J. was in command from the time the fight started until 2:22 in the fifth round. Referee Herb Dean had to stop the fight after Dillashaw attacked Barao relentlessly on the mat.
In a report by Yahoo! Sports, the new champ said, "He's the best of the world and that's what brought it out of me. I had to bring my A-game because I was fighting the best in the world."
During the first round, Dillashaw immediately got to work and knocked down his opponent during the final seconds with a right hand punch. He followed up the attack, however, Barao still managed to survive the initial round. Thereafter, Barao seemed to be the underdog; but he also showed that he would not be defeated easily as he attempted several takedowns as well as scored through successful leg kicks. The video below features the dominance of Dillashaw which ended in Barao's first loss.
Bleacher Report writes that Dillashaw was the more powerful and aggressive fighter between the two, landing 140 of 309 strikes. Barao hit 64 of 273 to constitute a 23% success rate.
After the match, the former title-holder now has a record of 32-1, while Dillashaw is 10-2 professionally. "I've dreamed this for so long. Barao's the best in the world in my eyes... that's what brought it out in me."
Barao also responded, "It was a tough fight. I have to congratulate him."
UFC president Dana White admitted that Barao is still one of the best that the sport has ever seen, even though Dillashaw's victory resulted to one of the biggest upsets in the UFC's 20-year history.
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