27-0 since ’05, Barao wants title shot vs. Cruz
Brad Pickett and Renan Barao engaged in a slugfest that brought the sold-out arena to its feet. Minutes later, Barao…
Brad Pickett and Renan Barao engaged in a slugfest that brought the sold-out arena to its feet. Minutes later, Barao launched a violent and lightning-quick sequence. It began with a big knee up the middle that wobbled Pickett, continued with a quick combination that dropped the fighter, and concluded with ground and pound that eventually led to the rear-naked choke.
Soon after his Spike TV-televised victory, which came via rear-naked choke at LG Arena in Birminghan, England, Renan Barao answered the obvious question: Is he ready for a shot at bantamweight titleholder Dominick Cruz?
“The objective is this: When you come up here to the UFC, it’s to fight for the title,” Barao told MMAjunkie.com through a translator. “I’m ready any time.”
“We were training very hard for this fight, and Brad Pickett is a very tough opponent, one of the best out there. I was very excited for this fight. I trained very hard.