The mixed martial arts (MMA) overlords seemingly don't want to see Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight kingpin TJ Dillashaw rematch former champ Renan Barao.
Or at least it seems that way following the latest hiccup on the road to a rematch that saw a broken rib force "Viper" to withdraw from his scheduled title defense against the Brazilian at the UFC 186 pay-per-view (PPV) on April 25, 2015 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
This is the second time the rematch between the two top 135-pounders has been nixed.
Back at UFC 177, Renan Barao failed to make weight after being hospitalized due to complications during the weight cut, forcing Dillashaw to take on last second replacement Joe Soto.
The UFC champ stopped by Inside MMA to discuss how exactly the injury happened, and when he plans on returning to the cage.
His words:
"I was wrestling, trying to hit a switch on Joseph (Benavidez). A move that I have done thousands and thousands of times, and it just didn't want to go right this time. My rib popped as soon as I hit the switch. I didn't think there was anyway I fractured it from wrestling, but wrestling is always the one that gets you."
"They told me it takes six weeks to heal, so I am thinking of getting right into camp as soon as my six weeks is up from healing. I want to fight as soon as possible. I've already done all the hard training, I'm in shape already, and I just have to take a little break now. I'd like to get it done as soon as possible."
Of course, Barao was none too happy to hear of Dillashaw's injury, and the former champ accused the Team Alpha Male product of running from the rematch.
As expected, Dillashaw laughed off "The Baron's" remarks:
"I got a laugh out of it, because it is pretty ironic for him to actually go and say that when I gave him a rematch he didn't even really deserve and then he decided to not make weight. His excuse was that he couldn't make weight, I actually have a broken bone, so he doesn't have much room to talk."
With powerhouse PPV events coming down the pipeline for UFC fans, could UFC brass add Dillashaw vs Barao 2 to an already stacked event once the champ heals up?
Maybe the bantamweight title fight joins the women's 135-pound title contest between Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia at the UFC 190 PPV inside the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 1, 2015.
One can only hope.
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