The rise and rapid fall of Renan Barao won’t soon be forgotten.
Barao went from going on an incredible run with a 32-1, 1 NC record to going 2-8 in his last 10 outings. After dropping his fifth loss in a row last month, the UFC has decided to release Barao. Combate first reported the news.
Barao was last seen in action on Nov. 16. He shared the Octagon with Douglas Silva de Andrade. Barao was defeated via unanimous decision. The once-dominant UFC bantamweight champion hasn’t won a bout since Sept. 2016.
In his prime, Barao beat the likes of Urijah Faber (twice), Michael McDonald, Eddie Wineland, and Brad Pickett to name a few. In his five-fight skid, he’s dropped bouts against Aljamain Sterling, Brian Kelleher, Andre Ewell, Luke Sanders (via KO), and Silva de Andrade.
There was a time when UFC president Dana White regarded Barao as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. His downfall began on May 24, 2014. Barao was stopped by Dillashaw via fifth-round TKO in a one-sided beatdown. At the time, this was considered to be a major upset. Barao went on to submit Mitch Gagnon to earn a rematch, but he was stopped once again by Dillashaw.
What do you make of the downfall of Renan Barao?
