Renan Barao returned to the Octagon last night (Sat., Dec. 20, 2014) for the first time since his crushing defeat at the hands of TJ Dillashaw earlier this year, a bout that cost him the bantamweight championship and his spot as one of the pound-for-pound best in the world (according to Dana White, at least). And while he was certainly sluggish at times and was nowhere near the top form he exhibited while tearing his way through the 135-pound weight class to win the title, he did score a submission finish of Mitch Gagnon, himself highly underrated, in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 58: "Machida vs. Dollaway" in Brazil. It wasn't the kind of performance that would inspire hope in his winning a rematch with Dillashaw but that fight with Dominick Cruz looks most interesting as a number one contender bout. You down? For a detailed recap of Barao's win click here, and for complete UFC Fight Night 58 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.
Get the latest gear
