White: Now we’ll find out what Barao’s really made of
“We’re all going to find out what Renan Barao’s really made of. Last time he lost he didn’t lose again for 35 fights, let’s see what he does after this loss.”
In Saturday night’s main event, at the end of the first round T.J. Dillashaw dropped Renan Barao with a straight right and swarmed on him before the bell rung. However, Barao’s bell was well and truly rung.
His coach Andre Pederneiras explains.
“After the first knockdown, Renan couldn’t get into the fight anymore and he went dizzy with every blow,” said the Nova Uniao founder. “Even between the rounds, when we were talking to him, he wasn’t even looking at us.
“After the first round, we told him not to trade with him so he could recover, but it was like we had told him ‘go there and trade punches with him’ because that’s exactly what he did. He kept fighting and asked us who was winning the fight before the fifth. When the fight was over, he asked us what happened, if he won or if he lost.”
Barao went on to lose the fight in the final round, his first loss since his very first fight nearly ten years and 34 fights ago.
At the post-fight media scrum, UFC president Dana White discussed the near knockout.
“If you get hit with the shot that he got hit with, most people would have got knocked out with that shot,” said White as transcribed by BloodyElbow’s Trent Reinsmith.
“He kept fighting, showed tons of heart and durability. But how does he bounce back from a loss like that?”
“You start asking yourself, ‘Did he get caught up in the hype? Did he not take Dillashaw seriously? Did he not do this? Did he not do that?’ Only he knows that. Only he knows the answer to that. I think he came out to fight the fight, but got caught.”
Barao’s camp wants an immediate rematch. But will be able to bounce back?
“That’s what we’re going to see,” said White. “We’re all going to find out what Renan Barao’s really made of. Last time he lost he didn’t lose again for 35 fights, let’s see what he does after this loss.”