Renan Barao will look to reclaim the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight title when he faces T.J. Dillashaw in a rematch during the main event of UFC 177 on Saturday in Sacramento, California.
Barao was a heavy favorite heading into their first showdown in May, but Dillashaw, who was a replacement opponent for the fight, managed to pull off a huge upset against his more-celebrated foe.
Dillashaw landed a massive right hand that nearly knocked Barao out in the first round of the match. The then-champion Barao managed to recover from the huge hit, but Dillashaw gained enough confidence to dominate in the succeeding rounds before stopping his foe for good in the final round.
Patrick Wyman of Sherdog.com predicted a decision win for Dillashaw in their rematch. Wyman believes that Barao has the tools to avenge his loss, but he is unsure if the 27-year-old will have the perfect fight plan to stop the much-improved Dillashaw on his tracks.
In an interview with ESPN, Dillashaw, who holds a 10-2 UFC record, said that he is motivated to score another convincing win in their second fight because he wants to prove that he can become the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world in the near future.
"I just set new goals for myself and that's to become a legend and the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world," Dillashaw said. "I have to set goals that high. They are hard to reach but they're doable. I've reached goals before and I'm excited to see it happen again."
But while most analysts are already writing Barao off after Dillashaw dominated him on May 24, the Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil-native vowed to reclaim the bantamweight title and prove that he is really better than his tormentor.
"My main goal is to get back the belt. My belt," Barao said in a Fox Sports interview on Tuesday. "To be there as champion and everybody looks at me and says he deserves to be champion. That's my goal."
Barao admitted that he underestimated Dillashaw during their first fight and was stunned after taking the big blow in the opening round, but he vowed not to commit the same mistake again on Saturday.
"What happened in that fight for me, I entered inside the Octagon on kind of a low mode and not focused," Barao said. "I got that punch (in the first round) and after that punch, I was fighting on automatic mode, I was not there. This time I'll try to be more focused, more quick, starting on the first second of the fight."
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