Renan Barao is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former UFC lightweight champion. He is one of the few fighters in this sport who have held champion status for a long time. In total, he spent 37 fights, in 33 of which he emerged victorious. To date, this athlete is popular among fans of fighting without rules.
Carier start
Renan Barao began his own professional career at Kimura Nova Uniao, a sports school located in Natal, Rio Grande. Before entering the world stage, Renan participated in competitions in his homeland, in Brazil. There he managed to fight with such rivals as Roni Mariano Bezerra, Anistavio Medeiros. Both of these fighters were former members of The Ultimate Fighter in Brazil. Barao is also a teammate and training partner for former featherweight champion and former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo. In general, this guy began to get involved in fights without rules from school, doing jiu-jitsu widespread in Brazil.
In 2011, Renan Barao received a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. And the year before, in January 2010, Brazilian magazine Sherdog, focusing on mixed martial arts, named Renan the biggest hope of Brazil.
Wec
In the professional arena, Renan Barao spent 37 fights. He lost only three fights, and one of them was his first fight with Joa Paolo Rodriguez, which took place on April 14, 2005, and in the two remaining victories the same person came out - TJ Dillashow.
06/20/2010 Renan was to meet in a duel with the famous in sports circles Clint Godfrey. This would be Renan's debut duel at World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). However, the fight did not take place due to Godfrey's injury. Then Renan was invited to fight with Anthony Leone, who was also new to this tournament. As a result of the fight, Barao won, having held Leone a painful reception in the third round.
Six months later, in December 2010, Renan again entered the ring and defeated Chris Cariaso in the first round, having a strangulation.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
In October 2010, the merger of WEC with the UFC began, as a result of which all WEC fighters were transferred to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Barao's debut performance within this organization took place on May 28, 2011. Dimetrius Johnson was supposed to be his rival, however, due to an injury to Brad Pickett, as a result of which he could not enter the battle with Miguel Torres, Johnson had to replace Pickett. Renan got the opponent Cole Escedovo. This debut fight in the UFC tournament turned out to be a victory for Renan by a decision of the judges, which was unanimous.
On November 5, 2011, Renan Barao, whose biography at that time was already interested in fans of fighting without rules, ran into a duel with Brad Pickett and defeated him in the first round with a strangulation. On February 4, 2012, Renan fought Scott Jorgensen, and again the victory remained with him, although by a decision of the judges, but this decision was unanimous.
Champion title
On July 21, 2012, after defeating Uriah Faber, Renan Barao, whose battle statistics can amaze anyone skilled in this matter, became the interim lightweight world champion. The victory went to him quickly, the rivals fought a full battle, but all the judges cast their votes to Renan.
Since that time, the champion has only had to protect his title from everyone who wanted to take it. And there were a lot of them. The first title defense took place in 2013. The fight was against Michael McDonald's. This fighter was a very serious opponent, who knows how to box well. However, Renan's style was more diverse, he was able to work both standing and on the ground. Of course, the victory remained with him.
Then there were fights with Eddie Vineland and a rematch with Uriah Faber, however, Barao coped perfectly with that and the other, showing all his fighting skills.
On May 24, 2014, Renan Barao, whose photo shows off in the UFC Champions Hall of Fame, was defeated by TJ Dellashaw, respectively, and lost the championship belt. The rematch, held a year later, could not return to Renana the lost title.
