The UFC 173 event scheduled for May 24th at the MGM Grand Arena in las Vegas features a Bantamweight title bout between Champion Renan Barao and challenger TJ Dillashaw. Right now, the line has Barao a massive (-925) favorite over Dillashaw, who returns a cool (+550). The match is in less than two weeks, and it id unlikely that the line will close with Dillashaw money coming in.
Dillashaw is a good, young fighter who came up through the TUF reality show for the UFC. He lost to Mike Dodson, who is really a 125 lber, and he lost to Raphael Assuncao in a contest many credited him with winning, besides those two losses he has won 5 UFC fights. He was penciled in to fight Japanese star Takeya Mizugaki at this event, in what was clearly a solid jump in competition for him. Mizugaki is a solid veteran on a four fight winning streak, and a jump in competition for Dillashaw to a fighter like Mizugaki was eagerly awaited by those who like Dillashaw’s potential.
But the leap to Barao is going to be too much for Dillashaw. Barao is riding perhaps the longest winning streak in the sport, as he is 32-0 (with 1 NC added) since dropping his first fight, and he is clearly and easily one of the top five fighters in the sport pound for pound.
Dillashaw has a lot of pressure on him being a member of Team Alpha Male. Dillashaw is talented, but the team revolves around the trio of Joseph Benavides, Urijah Faber and Chad Mendes, all whom have failed at attaining UFC gold. How will it affect the team if a lesser teammate succeeds where others have failed? Dillashawis learnings from Faber and knows the veteran is a better fighter than himself. Its got to weigh on him that Faber has been unequivocally beaten by Barao every time the two have met.
Despite his being crowned champion and his clear status as the number one Bantamweight in the world, and despite his record winning streak, Barao remains one of the hungriest UFC Champions out there coming from truly humble roots, he is finally being able to take care of himself and his family. It is hard to put a value on life experience overall, but Barao holds the edges. Dillashaw doesnt even have 20-25 fights under his belt fought for nothing or next to nothing like Barao.
Every single edge in the fight goes to Barao by a wide margin.
