Former bantamweight champion Renan Barao will be facing the man who took his belt, TJ Dillashaw for a rematch as the headline fight of UFC 186, scheduled for Montreal on April 25.
The first lines are up at the sportsbooks for this highly anticipated bout, and Dillashaw has come in as a (-265) favorite over Barao, who returns at (+205). The five round title bout has an over/under of 4.5 rounds, with the over at (+110) and the under at (-140).
The line is very different from that of the first fight, as Barao, who was (33-1) at the time and on a 22-fight winning streak, was a massive favorite. In the first fight, the wheel came off early for Barao, as Dillashaw opened strong and seemed to take Barao out of his game plan early. He tagged Barao with solid strikes, further rattling the champion. Dillashaw ended the fight halfway through the fifth round, showing championship mettle. Barao, was given an immediate rematch, as a dominant ex-champion should, but he failed to make weight, fainted and had to be replaced at the last minute. All of this contributes to him coming in as the underdog for this one.
But Dillashaw does need a win here. Instead of fighting Barao again, he faced last-minute opponent Joe Soto and put on a solid performance, both in accepting a fight under less than perfect circumstances and then for doing his job and winning. Soto also deserves credit for holding up his end, but Dilalshaw’s championship legacy wont be built on the Joe Soto win. He needs to get by Barao in this fight and get on with his career. He needs to get back in the public eye and get booked for three fights in the next ear if he beats Barao. If Dillashaw gets by Barao, he will almost certainly get Raphael Assuncao next, as the Brazilian owns a seven fight winning streak and a win over Dillashaw to bolster his champinoship credentials.
Now, beating Barao again and then avenging a previous loss against the tough Assuncao for his then third title defense, at that point Dillashaw can start talking about the quality of his championship reign.
Here are the UFC’s octagon interviews with Dillashaw and Barao after their first encounter:
