Paul Felder believes Renan Barao must emerge victorious tonight (Sept. 22).
Barao will go one-on-one with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) newcomer Andre Ewell. The bout will take place on the main card of UFC Sao Paulo. While the bout was scheduled to be a bantamweight tilt, Barao missed weight at 141.75 pounds. He will forfeit 30 percent of his purse.
Paul Felder: I Think It’s Do or Die For Renan Barao at UFC Sao Paulo
Felder will be at the FOX Sports desk to serve as an analyst during the pre-fight and post-fight shows for UFC Sao Paulo. He recently told Damon Martin that he feels Barao is in a must-win situation (via MMA Weekly):
“I think for him it is [do or die]. I think he’s really got to get in there and make a statement and show out a little bit. Because he’s not looked his form lately and this being in Brazil, this is his chance to really shine. I really think he not only needs to win but he has to look impressive to get another big fight at 135, especially the way that division is looking. He’s got to do something to really stand out.”
Taking a look at how Barao’s last few fights have gone and it’s easy to see why Felder believes it’s a do or die situation. “The Baron” has gone 1-4 in his last five outings. It’s a far cry from when he was the most dominant bantamweight in the world with a record of 32-1, 1 NC.
Stick with MMA News for live coverage of UFC Sao Paulo tonight. We’ll be bringing you live results, highlights and post-fight tidbits. It all begins with the first preliminary bout at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Do you think Renan Barao needs a win tonight to have any chance of putting together some sort of streak?
